


honey don't feed me (i will come back)

by Talls



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: AFTG Big Bang, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Dating, Didn't Know They Were Dating, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), M/M, Politics, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-10-25 11:51:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 31,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20723753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talls/pseuds/Talls
Summary: There’s a new god in the pantheon; Andrew remembers hearing about the scandal a while back, the newest Demeter having a child with the current Zeus and then going on the run, child in tow. They call him Persephone, the god of springtime and new life, the antithesis of Andrew's realm. It would be ludicrous of Persephone to ever interact with Andrew at all.If only someone told Persephone that.--“Hades, right?” Persephone asks.“Andrew,” Andrew responds, and Persephone hums.“Nice to meet you, Andrew. I’m Neil,” Neil responds. Andrew cuts a look sideways to see Neil watching him, something assessing in his gaze. Andrew nods in response. “I have to say, you’re not nearly as scary as everyone says you are,” Neil continues.“You barely know me. Give it time,” Andrew says, because the rumors don’t exaggerate. People fear him for good reason.“I’d like to, I think,” Neil says. Andrew quirks an eyebrow at him. “Know you,” Neil clarifies. Before Andrew can think of a response, Neil’s head turns.  “I have to go. Zeus called for me, and he’ll notice if I’m missing. Thanks for the cigarette.”





	1. Act 1: Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> We're here!!!! This story has been such a labor of love for me, and i've truly had such a wonderful time with not only this story, but also with James, my frankly phenomenal artist (@sisaloofafump who can be found with that name on both ao3 and also instagram where most of his exceptional work is hosted), and the incredible community of writers, artists, and betas on the discord!! this is my first big bang in the fandom, and i cant wait til the next one!!!!
> 
> the playlist for this is[ here! ](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0mLvJ3u5WO69W6TWK2Nexp?si=UbBQGVSTSsKqK-FpLApLmQ)  
without further ado! i hope you enjoy this story as much as i enjoyed writing it!

> _ She [Persephone] was filled with a sense of wonder, and she reached out with both hands _  
_to take hold of the pretty plaything.[2] And the earth, full of roads leading every which way, opened up under her._  
_It happened on the Plain of Nysa. There it was that the Lord who receives many guests made his lunge. _  
_He was riding on a chariot drawn by immortal horses. The son of Kronos. The one known by many names._  
_He seized her against her will, put her on his golden chariot,_  
_And drove away as she wept. _

  


There’s a new god in the pantheon. Andrew remembers hearing about the scandal a while back, the newest Demeter having a child with the current Zeus and then going on the run, child in tow. Nobody believed they would ever be found, but of course, they were. Nobody on Earth could truly escape Zeus. 

Now, the newest god is to be debuted to the rest of the Pantheon, displayed like a trophy in Zeus’s halls. Andrew doesn’t usually leave his realm unless summoned, largely uncaring of all of the infighting and drama that plagues the rest of the gods, but new gods are introduced so rarely that Andrew prefers to be there in person. Otherwise, Renee keeps him informed of the things he would care about and for the rest he stays out of the loop. He has more important things to worry about. Namely, an entire dimension. 

Andrew ascends to the Pantheon without fanfare, pushing open the gaudy gilded doors and stepping into the massive hall quietly. Some choose to be announced before entering, like Allison or Seth, but Andrew has no time for pageantry. It doesn’t really matter that much either way. The hall quiets when he walks in regardless of announcement, boisterous conversations warping into hushed whispers. Andrew is essential to the maintenance of the world order, as god of the Underworld, but that doesn’t mean anyone has to like him. In fact, very few do. 

Renee is already there, quietly luminous like the moon she patrons, standing next to Allison. As soon as she notices Andrew’s presence, however, she turns and walks directly to him, much to Allison’s chagrin. Allison’s death glare barely registers to Andrew: he’s never had a good relationship with love or beauty, and he isn’t ever expecting an Aphrodite to want to change that. 

“You aren’t late,” Renee comments when she reaches earshot. 

“I was vaguely intrigued by the news,” Andrew says, sincerely. Replacements happen often enough to be given less ceremony, but Creations are rare. A new god means something else is brewing. 

“Everyone is. Even Aaron came,” Renee says, eyebrows raised. Andrew is also taken aback by that, though he refuses to show his shock. Aaron ascends to the Pantheon even less than Andrew leaves the Underworld, but sure enough, there he is in the far corner of the hall, looking miserable next to a chattering Nicky. Andrew would approach the two, but Nicky has taken a few too many sips of his wine, and Andrew cannot abide the hugs. Aaron can deal. 

Andrew doesn’t spare the other gods any mind, largely unconcerned by their whereabouts and companions. Besides, Andrew gets the feeling the show is about to begin. 

Sure enough, the scent of crackling ozone fills the air. The hall darkens, and the crowd hushes in anticipation. Andrew turns and rolls his eyes at Renee who smiles softly in agreement. This Zeus is as dramatic as he is authoritarian. Andrew is momentarily glad he rarely has to interact with him. 

“You have all been summoned here to witness the newest god,” a voice like thunder booms. Zeus. He strides from the doors at the front of the hall, larger than anyone else in the room, and twice as imposing. His auburn hair whips around his face like he’s in a windstorm. “So bear witness to my son.” 

A boy follows behind Zeus, head angled straight forwards, not rebellious, but not quite cowed either. Andrew almost wishes he had listened to more of the gossip about the newest god, because maybe then he could have been warned. He hadn’t expected him to be quite this beautiful. 

The new god is outfitted in all black, his caramel skin luminous in the dim light, and his hair shines like burnished copper. Andrew sweeps his eyes down his frame, taking in the long legs, lean arms and defined jaw, tense and stoic. For a second, he wants. 

Zeus waits in the middle of the hall for his son to catch up to him. When he does, Zeus ushers him forward with a rough hand in the small of his back. The boy almost stumbles before righting himself. He looks around the hall, and Andrew sees his eyes linger on the doors, like he’s thinking of making a run for it. 

Then he falls on his knees and presses his thumbs on the marble floors. 

There is silence for a second, while everyone inhales in anticipation. Then Andrew hears rumbling. A crack appears in the marble under the boys thumbs, and then a stem appears in the gap in the ruptured stone. The crack grows as the stem does, spreading all the way to Andrew. The stem shoots up suddenly, gathering mass until it’s a full fledged tree. The tree grows more and flowers, perfuming the air with something sweet and cloying. The flowers bear fruit and the fruits ripen almost immediately, until they fall to the ground and ferment there, tinging the sweetness with something biting and addictive. The process repeats once before the tree withers and falls back into the marble. There is silence in the hall. 

“Witness Persephone, god of flowering, spring, and new life,” Zeus says, and the hall bursts into applause. Andrew looks at Persephone’s face, and sees no pride. He looks utterly unaffected by the feat he just performed. Andrew doesn’t want to be curious about that. 

After Zeus finishes his announcement, everyone swarms Persephone, asking questions and jostling for conversation. Even Renee approaches him, and in the confusion, Andrew slips outside. 

The air outside is bracing but it beats the stifling noise inside Zeus’s hall. Andrew pulls a cigarette out from his pack and lights it, taking a deep drag and savoring the taste. Nicotine doesn’t do anything for him anymore, now that he achieved godhood, but the flavor still comforts him. 

A door opens behind him, and Andrew turns to check who interrupted his only quiet moment of the night. His eyes widen slightly when he recognizes the lean frame of the newest god. _ Persephone _

“Sorry. I didn’t know anyone else would be out here,” Persephone says. He doesn’t make a move to walk back into the hall. The door closes behind him. 

“This isn’t my realm, I don’t dictate who comes outside or not,” Andrew says. It’s not an invitation, not really, but Persephone takes it like one, walking to Andrew and sitting next to him. 

“It gets loud in there,” Persephone says. Andrew almost rolls his eyes. He didn’t go outside to participate in more boring conversation, no matter how good-looking the participant was. “Can I have one of those?” he asks, gesturing to Andrew’s cigarette. Which is. Unexpected. 

“I didn’t think the embodiment of springtime and flowering would smoke cancer sticks,” Andrew retorts, but hands a cigarette and lighter over anyways. Persephone rolls his eyes, before lighting the cigarette and taking a deep drag, holding the smoke in his lungs for a few long seconds before releasing it into the night. His eyes flutter shut, and Andrew is enthralled by the shadow his eyelashes cast over his cheeks. 

“It must be hard to comprehend a god who isn’t a cliche, considering your whole aesthetic. Tell me, did your clothes come black, or did you dye them to match your soul?” Persephone scathes. 

“Bold of you to assume I have a soul at all,” Andrew replies, and he isn’t even a little bit gratified when Persephone barks a laugh. 

“Hades, right?” Persephone asks. 

“Andrew,” Andrew responds, and Persephone hums. 

“Nice to meet you, Andrew. I’m Neil,” Neil responds. Andrew cuts a look sideways to see Neil watching him, something assessing in his gaze. Andrew nods in response. “I have to say, you’re not nearly as scary as everyone says you are,” Neil continues. 

“You barely know me. Give it time,” Andrew says, because the rumors don’t exaggerate. People fear him for good reason. 

“I’d like to, I think,” Neil says. Andrew quirks an eyebrow at him. “Know you,” Neil clarifies. Before Andrew can think of a response, Neil’s head turns. “I have to go. Zeus called for me, and he’ll notice if I’m missing. Thanks for the cigarette.” 

Andrew watches Neil stand up and walk to the door. Before he can stop himself, he’s speaking. “You owe me.” Neil turns, and levels a confused look at him. “For the cigarette. You owe me.” 

“What do you want for it?” Neil asks. 

“A truth,” Andrew says, because against his will he’s intrigued. Neil cocks his head. 

“Now?” 

“When I see you next,” Andrew says, and Neil nods. 

“I’m looking forward to it,” Neil says, and it doesn’t sound like a lie. “See you then, Andrew.” 

He disappears through the doors, and Andrew is left alone outside. He considers going back in, before shaking off the thought. Nobody will miss him if he leaves early, and he misses the cool of his realm. He summons his chariot, a black Maserati, and drives through the portal to the Underworld. 

He tries not to think of Neil when he sleeps that night.

* 

Andrew doesn’t have time to think about Persephone and his stupidly pretty eyes - he has a realm to run - but sometimes, rarely, when he’s bored, he ponders what truth he would ask of Neil, if the new god even remembered the conversation. If he would tell the truth. Andrew doesn’t expect to interact with him again. The god of new life wouldn’t be found with the keeper of the dead, similar cigarette addiction or not. 

That being said, he seizes the next invitation to the halls of Olympus with a speed that would embarrass him if anyone else was there to see it. 

There isn’t a new god this time around, simply another replacement, but Andrew still takes it as a sign of trouble brewing. Apparently, Seth relinquished his godhood by choice, but Andrew met Ares enough times to know he wouldn’t ever give up this status. Seth was many things, but he was a fighter. 

Andrew walks into the hall without announcement again, but this time around barely anyone notices him, too concerned with their own grief and confusion to care about a new arrival. Renee catches his eye from across the room where she’s comforting Allison, but she doesn’t move towards him. Instead, Andrew walks to them. Poseidon, Hermes and Aphrodite are also there, and Hermes eyes Andrew with suspicion. Matt is generally a nice guy, but even he has ill-will towards Andrew. Poseidon steps in front of Allison, like the mother bear she is, but Andrew doesn’t have the time or the energy. 

“Aphrodite,” Andrew says, ignoring everyone else around her. Dan, Matt and Renee fall entirely silent. Allison is as radiant as always , every curl flawless, her makeup impeccable, but Andrew knows better than to assume she’s fine. He recognizes the loss in her eyes. He knows death intimately. 

“What do you want, Hades?” Dan says, but Allison shakes her head, and Dan quiets. 

“Seth wasn’t exactly a paragon of morality when he was mortal, but he lived as a fighter and he died a god. As soon as his soul crosses over, he will reside in Elysium,” Andrew says. There is a brief period of silence when everyone grapples with the concept of Andrew showing basic humanity, but then Allison nods once. 

“Thank you,” she says. She doesn’t sound particularly grateful, but then again, she doesn’t sound particularly anything. Renee smiles at Andrew, and Andrew offers his own curt nod, before turning on his heel and walking to Kevin. 

Kevin got stuck with Andrew by virtue of being one of the most annoying people anyone has ever met. He’s brilliant though, and a strategist unlike any other. He was born into the mantle of Athena, inheriting it from his mother Kayleigh, and it shows through every decision he makes, each calculated consideration he weighs. He’s not a fighter like Seth was; he’s a winner. 

Andrew stands near him and waits. As expected, Kevin breaks into his own analysis of the situation, skipping any and all pleasantries. 

“This isn’t good. He’s consolidating power, and he’s about to take War as well,” Kevin says. He doesn’t use Zeus’s name of course, that would be suicidal, but Andrew knows what he’s talking about. Andrew rarely gets involved in mortal or immortal affairs, but he makes it a point to stay aware. 

“We have you, don’t we?” Andrew asks, and Kevin nods, but shakily. 

“I suspect I might be the next one to retire,” Kevin says, and Andrew will concede that one. Kevin is too smart to be extinguished as fast as Seth was, but dominion over both wars ensures an eons-long regime.

“We’ll just have to make sure that doesn’t happen, won’t we?” Andrew says. Kevin nods, but his resolve is clearly shaky. It doesn’t help that Hephaestus is in attendance tonight, leaning heavily on his cane and glowering at Kevin. The Master never leaves the forge unless something important to him specifically happens. 

The smell of ozone once again permeates the air, and Andrew narrows his eyes as Zeus steps into the hall again. This time, however, Neil isn’t the only man in his train. A smiling Japanese man who looks startlingly like Hephaestus accompanies him, and his feet sound like war drums on the marbled floors. Andrew feels his domain expand the smallest amount in anticipation. He recognizes the traces of death in the man’s footprints. 

Kevin clenches his jaw, and Andrew puts his hand on Kevin’s arm to hold him up. 

“Today we are gathered to celebrate not only the short-lived but impressive reign of the Fallen Ares, Seth Gordon, but also to witness the new Ares, a man I care for like my own son,” Zeus says, grasping the shoulder of the new Ares, and squeezing it just a little too hard. Neil stares resolutely forwards, but Andrew sees his fists clench before slowly relaxing. 

“Witness Riko Moriyama, Nephew of Hephaestus, Scion of Godly Lineage, and Reigning Ares,” Zeus thunders, and the room shakes. Riko’s body glows with a red tinge, and his smile becomes even more manic, even more imposing. Andrew pulls Kevin closer to him. 

There’s silence in the room before Tetsuji starts clapping, and everyone follows suit. Nicky calls for a revelry, and everyone leaps towards the wine, presumably to drink to forget. 

“Do I need to take you somewhere?” Andrew asks, but Kevin shakes his head resolutely. 

“I think what I need is that wine,” he says, with a miniscule waver in his voice, as he stalks towards the hubbub. Andrew feels something new rise in his chest. Pride? Can’t be. Andrew looks at Zeus where he stands still with Riko and Neil. Zeus and Riko are talking, something menacing in the air between them, but Neil is looking at Andrew, head tilted. Andrew holds eye contact before walking out of the doors of the hall, stopping to smoke at the same place as last time. 

The doors open behind him. 

“Looking for some fresh air?” Andrew asks, facing outwards. He feels rather than sees Neil sit next to him, reaching out for one of Andrew’s cigarettes. 

“Looking for you, actually,” Neil responds. Andrew turns to him at that, quirking an eyebrow in his direction. Neil doesn’t explain the statement, just lifts the goblet he’s holding and asks if Andrew wants something to drink. “Nicky brought some wine. I haven’t tried it, but it’s supposed to be potent.” 

Andrew reaches out and plucks the goblet out of Neil’s hands, throwing it off the balcony. Neil watches dispassionately, before remarking in a monotone, “Or I won’t drink at all.” 

“Nicky’s wine is laced with madness. Anyone who drinks it loses control of their body and mind. No inhibitions,” Andrew explains before taking another drag of his cigarette. “You seem like someone who likes to stay in control.” 

“I didn’t think I was that easy to read,” Neil says, confirming Andrew’s suspicion. He sounds shaken, like he just dodged a bullet. Andrew supposes he had. 

“Only if you know the language,” Andrew replies. “Nicky didn’t tell you about his wine because you’re interesting to him. Watch your step around him. He means well but he’s,” Andrew searches for the right word, “overzealous.” 

“Thanks for the advice. Any other tips you want to share?” Neil asks. He sounds more settled. Andrew sees some of the tension in his shoulders ease in his periphery. 

“Not for free. You already owe me one,” Andrew says. 

“Have you thought of what you want?” Neil says, voice almost coy. Andrew cuts a look at him under his lashes. 

“What happened to your mother? The Demeter?” Andrew asks. Neil’s shoulders tense again. His breath shudders out of him. 

“You don’t pull your punches, do you?” Neil asks. Andrew stays silent, waiting for his answer. “Zeus found us on the run a few months ago. I was taken to Olympus immediately, but Mom was taken somewhere else. I don’t think she’s dead yet, or we would have heard of a new Demeter, but,” he takes a shuddering breath, “I don’t think I would necessarily call her alive either. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but reports of crops failing have started to surface. If there isn’t a new Demeter soon, there’ll be widespread famine in a few months,” Neil finishes. His jaw is tight, teeth gritted in suppressed rage. 

“And who does your father have in mind to fill that position?” Andrew asks, and Neil just shakes his head. 

“That isn’t a priority for Zeus at the moment,” he scathes. 

“I suppose with a new Ares and no new Demeter, I should expect a significant population increase in my neck of the woods,” Andrew muses. Neil doesn’t answer, staring off into the horizon with an intensity that shouldn’t intrigue Andrew. Andrew offers him the remains of his own cigarette and doesn’t stare at his lips as they part around the filter. 

“Can I ask another question?” Neil asks, and when Andrew nods, continues. “Why aren’t you ever in the mortal realm?”

“I don’t understand that question,” Andrew says, before plucking the cigarette out of Neil’s hand and crushing it against the ground. 

“This is the first time you’ve left the Underworld since the last time I saw you,” Neil notes. 

“Someone’s been paying attention,” Andrew says, one eyebrow raised. 

“I wanted to be ready for when you collected on our deal,” Neil says. Andrew’s mind halts when he realizes that for every time his mind jumped to the new god, Neil had been waiting for him on Earth, actively thinking about their next interaction. 

“Hades is different from other gods,” Andrew finally says. “Dominion over the dead requires more sacrifices than most are willing to make. One of those is vulnerability in the mortal realm. I draw my power from my domain, and lose power in its absence. Every time I leave the Underworld, I become more vulnerable than any other god could ever be,” Andrew says, remarkably matter of fact about his mortality. Neil makes a considering noise in the back of his throat. 

“I thought it was because you couldn’t stand most gods and people,” Neil remarks, and Andrew nods in concession, because that was objectively true. “Even your own family thinks you hate them.” 

“Sharing a womb with Aaron was the longest time we’ve endured each other’s presence without wanting to kill each other. The world is better off when we only communicate at a distance. And even if I did hate Nicky, he wouldn’t become any less clingy,” Andrew says. Neil smiles wryly. 

“It’s funny, because your family life is pretty fucked up by most people’s standards, but I don’t think I’ve ever been more jealous.” 

“That’s the most pathetic thing I’ve ever heard a person say,” Andrew deadpans, and Neil nods amiably. 

Andrew realizes that he’s losing track of time, with the brief bouts of intense dialogue interspersed with disquietingly comfortable silence. Before Andrew can begin to address that realization, Neil is talking again. 

“How does Aaron get in touch with you?” he asks. 

“What?” 

“You said that you and Aaron do communicate, just usually at a distance. How do you communicate?” Neil asks again. 

“We have the godly equivalent of cell-phones. Hermes built everyone totems that function similarly to phones without needing service.” Andrew pulls out the shard of obsidian he carries everywhere. “If you ask, he’ll make you one as well,” he says. 

“Oh, is that what this is?” Neil says, before pulling a shard of a burnt orange stone out of his pocket. “Matt gave it to me a while back but he didn’t tell me anything about what it was.” 

“That’s because it looks like and functions like a phone, he didn’t think he had to tell you anything,” Andrew says. “You probably have a lot of very confused texts waiting for you to open them.” 

“What are texts?” Neil asks. Andrew blinks at him. Neil blinks back. 

Andrew taps his totem against Neil’s and then types out a quick text. Neil’s totem buzzes once. Andrew leans over and grabs Neil’s thumb, ignoring the fact that they’re technically holding hands, to swipe it over the rock screen. Andrew’s predictions are right, of course; there are over 300 messages waiting for Neil. 

Neil suddenly navigates the totem with a practiced ease, opening Andrew’s message and assigning him a contact. He types a response quickly, and smiles smugly at Andrew. 

** Hades: luddite **

** Persephone: luddite who just got your number **

Andrew tries to convey as much disappointment as he can without speaking. Neil smirks. Andrew doesn’t want to encourage this kind of behavior, but he’s big enough to be aware of his weakness for chaotic energy. Instead of a response, Andrew gets to his feet. Neil follows suit, a vague panic on his face. 

“I’ve stayed here too long,” Andrew says in lieu of a apology for leaving. He summons his chariot, opening the door and stepping in. 

“When can I see you next?” Neil asks, right before Andrew shuts the door. Andrew freezes. 

“You have my number,” Andrew simply says, before shutting the door and going back home.

For the first time in a very long time, Andrew doesn’t feel entirely settled as soon as he crosses over the Styx. He scratches his cat’s heads absentmindedly, mind occupied with smirking pretty boys. 

His totem buzzes. 

** Persephone: cherry trees in d.c in bloom. **

** Persephone: come with me, next week? **

Andrew feels something tighten in his chest. 

** Hades: Yes. **


	2. Act 1: Chapter 2

Andrew steps out of the Maserati and adjusts his cufflinks, walking away as the chariot disappears from the plane. Becoming Hades had its perks, but gaining dominion over wealth and suddenly being able to afford and wear whatever he wanted rated high amongst them. Aaron rejected most trappings of wealth as soon as he achieved godhood, choosing to stay on earth with his oracle girlfriend and make a comfortable life of it, occasionally making a world-changing medical discovery or fostering a new genre of music. 

But Aaron and Andrew grew up differently. Aaron spent an abnormal life craving normalcy. Andrew grew up powerless, craving control. Andrew knows how the world has always worked, knows how status and power change the way people treat you, the way people look at you. 

Andrew doesn’t know how or where to meet Neil, so he just follows the crowd, lingering under the pink petals. People instinctively part around him, something base within them registering the power he has. 

“Nice shirt,” Neil says, suddenly in step with him. Andrew doesn’t startle, but it’s a close thing. “How are you enjoying the view?” he asks. 

Andrew turns slightly, flicking his eyes up and down Neil’s frame. “It’ll do,” he says and Neil laughs, a sharp shocked sound. Neil doesn’t dress well, but he dresses with a purpose. His clothes match the general cut of all the other tourists and harried businessmen dedicated to ruining the country, but the quality of the fabric is obviously mediocre at best. If he wasn’t so naturally striking, Andrew’s eyes would have skipped right over him. 

“The blooms are wonderful this time of year,” Neil says conversationally. Andrew almost mocks him for the cliche small talk when he registers the look on his face. There’s a fierce joy there, a pride that seems strange juxtaposed to the delicate pink petals it’s directed at. 

“Tell me about them,” Andrew asks, and Neil looks a little confused, before a wary joy spreads across his face. 

“They’re far from home, but they grew into the marvels they are today on foreign ground. They traveled around the world to be here.” Andrew makes an inquiring noise, which is all it takes to set Neil off. He talks about soil composition and genetic engineering and diplomatic implications for about thirty minutes as they amble. His generally wary countenance melts with every word he says as he expounds on his passion. Andrew won’t say that he cares about the particulars of what Neil gesticulates so passionately about, but there’s something about the intensity in his voice that engages Andrew’s attention. 

“I can’t believe I talked for that long,” Neil says, as he steers them to a nearby bench. “I don’t usually get encouraged about this stuff.” Andrew hums in acknowledgement before walking purposefully to an ice cream stand nearby, buying one mango sherbet and one chocolate come. 

“Sweet tooth?” Neil asks when Andrew returns with the deserts in tow. 

“Something like that,” Andrew says before licking his cone. The sweetness bursts across his taste buds and he almost smiles from the sugar rush. It’s been a long time since he’s indulged himself like this with chocolate. Neil also appears to be enjoying his fruity concoction. For a second, Andrew just takes in his surroundings, the comfortable silence, the sweet film in his mouth, the warm sun and the light breeze, the faintly floral air around them.

“What’s the real reason you approached me?” Andrew asks, still eating his cone. Neil stills beside him, but otherwise shows no reaction. Andrew stays quiet, patient. 

“I meant what I said when I told you everybody is scared of you,” Neil finally says. “That includes my father. I don’t know how or why but I’m hoping to find out.” 

“Why?” Andrew asks, biting into the remains of his cone and wiping his fingers off on his handkerchief. 

“Because regardless of what I was born to be, I was raised a survivor, and the only one place in the universe that I’m safe from him is your domain.” Neil’s voice is even but there’s a rawness to his words, the fear of a cornered animal with fewer and fewer options resonating through his being. Andrew knows that fear intimately. 

“Then ask me. It’s your turn anyway,” Andrew says. Neil shifts until he’s facing Andrew more fully. 

“Why is everyone so scared of you?” he asks. Andrew takes a deep breath, before releasing it. Control. 

“The last Hades was a brave soldier. He was a good son and a beloved of Zeus, Hera and most of the old guard. He was universally adored. I stole his title by taking him captive and torturing him for a week until he begged me to take his powers and let him die. Then, I cast his soul into the depths of Tartarus and reordered the Underworld, severing the good relations between Olympus and Hades. After that, I found the past Apollo and the past Dionysus and I convinced them to give their titles to my brother and my cousin.” Andrew delivers his speech in a monotone. Neil never reacts. 

“What’s the whole story?” Neil asks, after a few moments of silence. 

“That’s not the question you asked. You asked why they fear me. This is why.” 

“In order for you to have captured and tortured him, he must have been in the mortal realm for a very long time. Why was he here and what was he doing?” Neil asks, and Andrew startles internally. Andrew doesn’t give a shit what people think of him and he never will, but this is the first time someone has thought to ask one of the more obvious questions about his ascendency, and it is strange to receive the benefit of the doubt. 

“That’ll cost you, I’m afraid,” Andrew remarks lightly. Neil looks like he’s going to push but something makes him reconsider. 

“Next time,” he says resolutely. Andrew raises an eyebrow. 

“Will there be a next time?” Andrew asks. Neil cocks his head to the side like a confused puppy.

“Won’t there?” he asks and his eyes are too blue for words. 

Andrew stands up and begins to walk again, and Neil follows suit. They amble in silence until Andrew finds a section of road to summon the Maserati to. 

Right before he speeds home, Andrew takes a second to say, “See you next time,” and leaves with the imprint of Neil’s smile emblazoned on the back of his eyes.

*

Andrew only has to wait for about two days for the next text to arrive. Neil meets him at a patch of countryside right outside of Galway, Ireland, on a rare sunny day, and they amble, gazing at wildflowers and sheep that roam. There’s an isolation there that speaks to Andrew, and Neil looks content in his truly heinous jean shorts and t-shirt. Andrew dressed down in a henley, but he still has standards, even in casual wear. 

Neil throws a piece of grass at him when Andrew dares vocalize that comment. 

“It’s your turn,” Neil eventually says, when they sit down to take in the sun. Andrew closes his eyes. 

“Why did you go on the run in the first place?” Andrew asks, and Neil blows some hair out of his eyes before furrowing his brow in consternation. 

“Lots of reasons. It was my mother’s decision. My father cheated on his wife with Mom, and Lola has never been exactly kind to my father’s illegitimate progeny,” Neil reports with a grimace on his face. “We stayed put for about five years, but I was maturing at double the rate because of my new godhood. Lola started ramping up the attacks on me, and Mom was already antsy about my father. One day, my father almost threw me off of Olympus like Hephaestus, and the next day we were gone.” Neil tears apart stalks of grass as he speaks, staining the tips of his fingers light green. 

“I don’t know how you stayed away for so long,” Andrew says. Neil smirks. 

“Oh, we had ways. Mom was the daughter of a crime family before she ascended, and she still had her old cults who were willing to do anything for us,” Neil says. “And I became very proficient with very illegal things very quickly,” he says with a quicksilver smile, charming and roguish. Andrew looks at a nearby sheep. 

“My turn,” Neil says, energized with an investigative fervor. 

“Shoot,” Andrew says, waving his hand idly.

“What's the deal with you and Kevin?” Neil asks, and Andrew is taken aback.

“You’re wasting your question on that? Don’t they have gossip in the Pantheon?” Andrew asks, incredulously. 

“I’m curious. We have time for the other questions,” Neil says, with a careless shrug. 

“I’m not going to take it easy on you next time because you decided you wanted to play nice,” Andrew sneers. Neil cocks his head to the side. 

“I never expected you to,” he responds, and he seems genuinely puzzled, like the concept hadn’t even occurred to him. Andrew wants so badly to shake him until he makes sense.

“Kevin was born Athena after Kayleigh handed down the title based on her pregnancy. He was raised by Hephaestus, though, and everyone knows Tetsuji is a bastard. Kevin grew up intolerable, and I grew up with a different understanding of what can be tolerated and what cannot. He gives me information about the gods and helps me plan out the organization of the Underworld to maximize efficiency, and in return I listen to him talk about his anxieties, specific World War I battles, and drunken rambles about Odysseus.” 

“That explains it,” Neil says, deliberately vague. 

“Explains what?” Andrew asks, after three minutes of silence waiting for Neil to continue his thought. 

“He adores and fears you in equal measure,” Neil says. “Him, Nicky and Aaron all have some mix of those two emotions. You’re a very polarizing person up top,” Neil remarks lightly, but his eyes are searching. 

“They all fear me except for Renee, and they’re right to do so,” Andrew says. 

“I’m not afraid of you,” Neil retorts, and Andrew cuts him a sharp look. 

“That’s because you have no sense of self-preservation and the impulse control of a toddler,” Andrew says, and Neil laughs out-loud at that, his voice ringing out in the open air like the peals of a bell. It sounds like music to Andrew’s ears, and a small part of him quakes in fear. 

“I need to go,” Andrew says, and stands up to open a portal to the Underworld. Neil looks bereft, the wildflowers around him wilting.

“What’s the rush?” Neil asks. 

“I have a kingdom to run, I’ve been away too long as it is,” Andrew says. He isn’t lying, he can feel his power ebbing away into the soil, where it filters back into the Underworld, and he knows he has issues to resolve. He could stay for a few hours more, but he feels too shaky around Neil to allow that. 

“Then I’ll see you next time?” Neil asks. If Andrew was smart, he would say no. He would stop responding to his texts and he would stop ascending to the Pantheon, and he would let this blue-eyed boy find someone else to pester. 

“Next time,” Andrew says, and it isn’t a promise but it rings out like one, has weight like one. Neil settles at that. Andrew resolutely turns away and walks through the portal. 

** Persephone: Let’s go to a shitty McDonalds and destroy their dollar menu next. **

** Hades: finally, something up my alley **

** Persephone: friday? **

** Hades: yes.**

*

In Cincinnati, Andrew asks Neil about his last memories of his mother, over a table covered in greasy paper wrappers and the remnants of a muted food fight (Neil is an expert pickpocket, but Andrew doesn’t play around with his fries). Neil tells Andrew about how Demeter beat him when his powers manifested for fear of being noticed, how she clawed and fought and bled to protect him when Zeus finally caught up with them, how she chewed on stalks of wheat like a hayseed and tucked irises behind Neil’s ear on sunny days. Andrew sits in silence after he hears the stories before extending his packet of fries across the table. Neil’s resulting facial expression ends up terrifying Andrew so much he has to leave. 

In Delhi, Neil teaches Andrew how to eat masala dosa like a native, talking in fluent Hindi to the street vendors before giving Andrew one of the spiciest things he’s ever eaten in his life. Andrew holds out for about thirty seconds before gasping for breath, while Neil cackles and orders a mango lassi to soothe Andrew’s burning throat. By the time they both calm down, they have tear tracks on their cheeks and stitches in their sides. Neil quiets down a little bit, staring at Andrew’s face, and slowly, allowing Andrew enough time to move, raises his hand to Andrew’s face. Andrew holds his breath as Neil’s thumb touches the corner of Andrew’s mouth. 

“You’re smiling,” Neil whispers reverently, and Andrew is paralyzed. Men and women dressed in tunics and saris zip by on motorcycles and children yell for candy bars that their parents won’t buy for them. Neil’s thumb rests on Andrew’s face, and Andrew is still. 

In Seoul, they roam the brightly lit streets, marveling at the striking neon signs and the endless array of stores, and the brightness of the people as they rush by. Neil shows Andrew sleight of hand tricks, pulling a quarter out of Andrew’s ear and the wallet out of his pocket. They travel to a nearby rooftop and Andrew carefully unrolls one of his cigarettes, nudging out all of the tobacco, and refolding the paper into an origami frog. Neil peers at the perching frog, rearing backwards when the frog jumps upwards after a few seconds. His face brightens with delight, and he pulls a little notebook out of his back pocket, ripping out a few pages. 

“Teach me how to make one of those?” Neil pleads, wide-eyed. They sit cross-legged and crouched over, folding delicate flowers and cranes and frogs and fortune tellers. Andrew tells Neil about the library in Palo Alto with the Big Book Of Origami and the silky squares of colored paper on the dusty kiddies desk. In the beginning, he ripped the creations up in fits of frustration when he creased the paper incorrectly, or when the instructions were too vague. He never gave up though, folding and refolding every crease in the most lopsided lotus in all of creation until the library’s closing hours rolled around. The next day, he was back.

Andrew kept practicing, looking for origami references in every library he found, searching for advanced patterns online when the books got too basic. He twisted diner napkins into swans, folded failed tests into elephants, and on one memorable occasion, fashioned an informational pamphlet about depression into a shiv. Andrew’s past is littered with tiny origami figurines, as delicate and sharp as broken glass. 

Later, when Andrew returns to his realm, feeling weak at the knees for reasons more than his extended stay above ground, he reaches into his jacket pocket, and feels an unfamiliar lump inside his wallet. Upon inspection, Andrew finds a tightly furled origami rose, unraveling back into notebook paper. On the paper, Neil penned a surprisingly detailed rendering of Andrew focused on a tiny origami crane in his hands, gaze soft and intense. Andrew stares at it unblinkingly for several long moments before folding it into neat quarters and tucking it back into his wallet. 

In Santorini, Andrew sits for his portrait while Neil sits at his feet and draws his own rendition of Andrew for comparison. The street artist sketches thick charcoal lines over the heavy paper, scrutinizing Andrew’s face before looking back at his work. Neil pokes and prods at Andrew to ‘get reactions for the dynamics in the face, you wouldn’t understand’, makes jokes about passersby, sticks his tongue out of the corner of his mouth in concentration. Andrew surveys the bright blue tops of the white villas, the way the sun fragments and scatters off the architecture, painting everything in cool and buttery light. Neil has a smear of charcoal on his chin. 

Neil’s portrait is almost unrecognizable. His likeness is correct, because Neil has a weird knack for art, but Andrew doesn’t know the expression on his own face. He seems settled, absolutely content in his skin. He’s facing outwards, towards the sea, chin high and gaze stoic, but amusement plays around his lips, and a strange gentleness curls up at the corners of his eyes. Andrew cuts a heroic figure in Neil’s eyes. Andrew doesn’t say anything, but he discreetly creates a portal and sends it directly to his realm for safekeeping, and that seems to please Neil well enough. 

The street artist’s rendition is far more understandable, but somehow infinitely worse. He elected to add Neil into the portrait, curled up near Andrew’s legs. They’re looking at each other, and Andrew somehow looks both fond and despairing. Neil, on the other hand, looks exhilarated, eyes brighter than the sun, mouth curling around some jackass thing he’s saying, body relaxed against the bench Andrew sits on. Andrew recalls how wary Neil used to be, how his eyes would track every pedestrian, how he would check reflective surfaces compulsively to make sure he knew what was behind him. Looking at how loose and secure Neil seems in the picture, it would seem that paranoia was gone. 

Neil flushes a little bit when he sees the portrait, but that could be the sun. He turns his puppy eyes on Andrew, and Andrew sighs internally before handing it over to him. It’s worth the pleased smile, and the care Andrew sees in Neil’s hands as he handles the paper. 

After Andrew finishes paying the artist (and tipping very generously for putting up with them), he starts walking purposefully and Neil follows in his wake. They walk up to the highest point on the island, eventually perching on a ledge and facing west. 

They don’t wait long. The sun drops low in sky, filtering the vivid blue of the sky with streaks of violet and magenta. The sea catches fire, burning golden as it swallows the sun. Neil’s breath catches audibly as he confronts the imagery. Andrew turns and looks at Neil, and it’s a mistake. 

He’s so beautiful it hurts. The sun catches in the auburn net of Neil’s curls, lighting them on fire, and his eyes seem to have saved the blue of the sky for later. The pinks on the horizon settle on the tops of his cheekbones and his full, barely parted lips, and the dying rays of sun dust gold on his brown skin. He’s a vision. He’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to Andrew. 

Neil turns to Andrew, unexpectedly. Andrew expected the sunset to keep his attention for longer, but there Neil is, looking at Andrew like Andrew just single handedly reversed all deforestation. His eyes are so soft, bright with some emotion that hurts to look at. Andrew doesn't know how people survive this, this feeling he’s feeling right now. 

The pinks and violets mute into soft heather greys, and the sky sinks into indigo, and the sun falls below the horizon. Andrew thinks he could stare into Neil’s eyes for years and never tire of the view.

“How did you find this place?” Neil finally asks, voice soft like he’s afraid of breaking something with noise. 

“The old Apollo used to live here. She called it the best view in town, if town was the entire mortal realm,” Andrew responds. Neil makes a questioning noise, prompting Andrew to keep talking. “I ascended at a deeply inopportune time, both for my mental health and for the political structure of the Pantheon. I was young, angry and ignorant. I could have ruined some very important things if I made a wrong move, and nobody knew how to stop me if I did. Apollo started bringing me here, once a week, for conversations. Bee - I called her Bee - called them her question sessions. She would ask me questions about my upbringing, my mental state, my priorities, and in return she would answer any question I had about the Pantheon or the role of Hades.” 

“Like how we do,” Neil says, as if their question game is still the only reason they meet. Neil’s right about Andrew getting the idea from Bee though. If the question game worked on Andrew, it had to work on everyone. 

In the beginning, Andrew’s questions had been cruel, designed to hurt her for having the audacity to pretend to care when she was just looking out for herself. She never flinched, always responding implacably and with good humor. Andrew worked harder and harder to test her boundaries until one day Andrew came with information about her abusive mother in the Underworld. To this day, it is the only thing Andrew has ever done that he regrets. Andrew watched her face become drawn and wan, and her fingers begin to rub at her legs compulsively, and he realized for the first time how much power he actually had. He had grown up lashing out with a safety pin against people with swords. Suddenly, he had a gun. The rules had changed. 

Bee responded to his attack with a question about his well being, and Andrew instead told her about how exactly he had ascended to even the playing field again. She was still shaking slightly when he left, but she showed up again the next, and Andrew brought her a churro with chocolate from her favorite place in Madrid, and she had smiled softly and asked him about his day. 

Andrew recounts this to Neil, sans some of the internal commentary. 

“Sounds like she meant a lot to you,” Neil says. Andrew moves to deny it, but that feels too much like something the old Andrew would have said. 

“She still does. We don't visit anymore. She hid from all of the gods when she left so the Pantheon would never find her again, but Matt adored her, so she got a totem even after she left. She sent us a message before she went off the grid. Apparently, she runs a farm with the old Artemis. She’s making an herb garden,” Andrew says. He doesn’t know why he’s talking at all actually. He’s never spoken about Bee before, and he’s definitely never told anyone about how deep their relationship ran. Neil seems perfectly content listening, though. Neil knows _ how _ to listen, and he understands more than most. 

They keep talking under the soft blanket of the night and the silver light of Renee’s chariot. Andrew loses track of time as they trade stories and quips and companionable silences until the sun rises again behind them. Neil looks just as surprised at the new day dawning as Andrew, if not more so. He looks like he might ask Andrew to stay and talk until sunset rolls around again, but Andrew has just been confronted with Neil in sunlight again after hours of respite, and he’s weak for a whole host of reasons. 

When he leaves, it feels like he’s forgetting something massive, neglecting the single most important thing in the world. It probably should have felt that way when he was away from his kingdom.


	3. Act 1: Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick heads up! This chapter deals with references to Dr*ke, including a brief mention of the fact that he is a p*do. There’s nothing graphic except for what Andrew does to him in response in order to become hades.

On days they don’t see each other, they exchange snarky quips via the totems. Half of Neil’s texts involve some veiled attack on one of the gods he interacts with regularly, or an extremely unveiled attack on Kevin. Andrew believes Neil genuinely hates Kevin until Kevin sends him a giddy message about how there’s finally someone in the Pantheon who actually seeks his company and values his opinions. 

Andrew usually asks for ideas about eternal punishments for the worst offenders in Tartarus. Neil is surprisingly inventive and deeply deranged in most of his suggestions, and Andrew, a little more into it than comfortable, ends up having to tone down half of them before implementing them. 

Neil tries to call him a few times, but Andrew draws a line at that. It’s not a real line, of course it isn’t. Andrew knows what lies at the bottom of the slope he’s slipping down, but he can’t help but to reach for any kind of purchase, any kind of control. Something about being home and safe with Neil’s teasing voice in his ear makes his chest tighten with something smoky and suffocating.

Neil doesn’t push. He takes Andrew’s arbitrary boundary in stride and doesn’t mention it again. Andrew almost wants him to ask about it. Andrew knows what to do with people who push more than they should. He has no idea what to do with Neil. 

Of course, he doesn’t think anyone in the world has any idea what to do with Neil. From what Renee, Kevin, and Nicky report, Neil is as adored as he is unknown in the Pantheon, prone to disappearing for long stretches of time, and never answering a single question honestly. Allison has questioned him about his romantic proclivities, Matt has interrogated him about past friends, and Nicky has generally pried more than he should; apparently, Neil has been married four times, was madly in love with a man until he realized it was just a mirror in his room, swore a vow of celibacy in Tibet in exchange for safe haven, and made love to fifteen women in one night as part of a cult initiation ritual.

It’s hard to picture this sharp inscrutable character they describe when looking at a sun-warmed Neil, sprawled like a cat over a sunny patch of Texas bluebonnets, Andrew tasked with sketching him. It’s harder still to picture that runaway when Neil rolls over to look at Andrew’s progress, and bursts into snorts and cackles when he sees the extremely long, extremely swollen, extremely detailed penis Andrew has drawn instead. And when Neil calms down, his auburn curls brushing Andrew’s thigh, mouth pursed like he’s just waiting for Andrew to kiss the laughter off of him, Andrew thinks maybe he could spend an eternity meeting all of the infinite iterations of Neil, every single variant of the man in front of him, scarred and resplendent. 

*

Andrew asks Neil to meet him in Giza. Andrew travels them inside of one of the pyramids, into a dusty room filled with untouched treasures. 

“Humans haven’t found this one?” Neil asks when they first enter in. 

“Not bandits, not archeologists, not even the scarabs. It’s one of the only secret resting places of the dead in the world these days. I’m the only god who can sense it at all. There’s nothing here but wealth and death to notice.” Andrew’s voice is dry, but there’s a measure of wonder in it. He’s long past the age where he feared expressing any interest in anything at all for fear that it would be taken from him. He’s a god now. Nobody can take anything from him ever again. 

“That’s amazing,” Neil breathes, looking around the tomb with wonder in his eyes. There isn’t a light source to be found, just cool air, and welcoming darkness, but they’re not people, they are gods, and Andrew can see every single detail of the tomb from where he stands. Neil, ostensibly looking for somewhere to sit without disturbing anything, simply folds his legs and plops down on the floor. Andrew follow suit. 

“You haven’t asked the question I’m here to answer yet, but now is your opportunity,” Andrew says. 

“What’s the question I need to ask?” Neil asks. Andrew rolls his eyes. 

“What are you most curious about me?” Andrew asks, expecting the answer to be obvious. Neil smiles at his feet and then at Andrew. 

“You know, for someone who’s usually so perceptive, you really have no concept of how deep my curiosity runs,” Neil says. 

“For someone so dedicated to survival, you really make a lot of jokes at the expense of the god of death,” Andrew replies. Neil snorts. 

“God of _ the dead _,” Neil emphasises, and Andrew whaps him on the shoulder. “Why are you hitting me, I’m right?” He yelps, almost stifling his snicker at the end there. 

“I’m talking about how I ascended,” Andrew says, and watches the mirth drain out of Neil’s body, leaving behind an intensity so focused Andrew has to look away for a second. 

“You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to-” Neil begins. 

“Why do you think I haven’t told you before now?” Andrew asks, impatient to execute his decision now that his mind is made. “I’m telling you to ask me,” he says, and Neil stares, perfectly still for several long moments. 

“What is the story of your ascension?” Neil asks, and Andrew leans back against the cool wall of the only truly safe place in the mortal realm. His eyes shut. 

“How much did your mother teach you about Replacements?” Andrew asks. 

“There are three ways gods can transfer their power to their replacements: inheritance, conquest, and retirement,” Neil lists, like a schoolboy doing a recitation. “Inheritance happens when a god willingly hands their power to a replacement. Conquest happens when a god is felled in battle against another god. If they fall, the victor decides who gets to take the mantle next. Retirement means a god gives up the power to the universe, and the strongest embodiment of that power assumes the throne.” 

“Basically correct. Those are the three main ways, but power transfer can happen in other ways. For example, when Kevin was born, Kayleigh set up a slow power transfer that, once concluded, would make a mature Kevin Reigning Athena and Kayleigh a mortal inhabitant of the pantheon. It’s an open secret that the reason Kevin became a god so young was because Tetsuji killed Kayleigh without knowing what she had started, and the power had to transfer immediately.”

“That’s why Tetsuji raised Kevin,” Neil says, piecing together the story Andrew is telling him. 

“They wanted to put a new Athena on the throne, but Tetsuji fucked up. So Tetsuji had to ensure control over Kevin, because they couldn’t kill a boy and maintain favor with the other gods. He has a base in his forge where Kevin and Riko were raised, a training camp for young Moriyama minions used to phase out the other gods. Kevin thinks he’s next considering that we just lost Seth and I’m inclined to agree.” 

“Okay, but your ascension was inheritance right?” Neil cuts in to ask. 

“Almost. Inheritance is willing, but the transfer was coerced. It was basically conquest, but I was a mortal child, and he was a soldier and a god. I was unprecedented,” Andrew muses. He supposes he’s stalling before he gets to the meat of the story. Neil can wait.

“You shouldn’t have been able to ascend at all,” Neil says. Andrew nods in the darkness. 

“You remember when we spoke about this before?” Andrew asks.

“I asked what he was doing on earth for so long that you were able to subdue him.” 

“You asked for the whole story. Here’s the whole story.” Andrew takes a deep breath. Control. “I grew up in the California foster system. I was a delinquent with anger issues and a speech impediment, so I got shuffled around a lot, moved from shitty home to new, somehow shittier home. Until the Spears.” Control. “The Spears were a family of three, Richard, Cass, and their older son,” _ control, _ “Drake. Richard was a family man with a steady job, Drake was a soldier, a pillar of the community, and Cass was a great wife and a kind mother, a regular saint of suburbia. Together, the father, son and holy ghost were going to rehabilitate the troubled child they adopted.” 

“Of course, nobody in the community ever knows the whole story. Don’t get me wrong, Richard and Cass were genuinely decent, average, suburban folk. But Drake had secrets. For one, Drake wasn’t a soldier. He was Hades. He gained the title on tour, when he took the previous Hades hostage and brutalized her until she gave up in hopes that the pain would stop. The irony of it all was that Drake didn’t even know about the gods. He was torturing the old Hades for the fun of it all.” 

“But that wasn’t the only skeleton he had in his closet. Because, Drake, in addition to being the sadistic god of the dead, was a pedophile.” Neil inhales sharply. 

“The Spears adopted me when I was twelve, and I ascended when I was sixteen. Drake had to maintain the illusion of being a soldier, so he lived in the underworld for six months during which he told his parents he was on tour. For that half of the year, I was in heaven. I had parents who fed me regularly, who let me leave the house when I wanted, who cared about me. The only thing they refused to do was put a lock on my door.” Andrew huffs out a sound that might have been a laugh in a previous life. “The other half of the year, I tried to make myself scarce. I signed up for summer clubs and organizations at the community center, but then he applied to be a chaperone. When the legal stuff didn’t work, I got myself into a gang. One summer I pled guilty to aggravated assault so I could go to juvie. But that was my problem.”

“Here was Drake's problem. He liked to talk. And there was nothing he liked to talk about more than Hades. He was so proud of himself, of his power, of his domain. He told me how he won the throne, how power was transferred, how his domain was the safest and the strongest. And, unfortunately for him, he told me that he was sacrificing his strength, just to stay with his favorite little brother.” 

“The summer I turned sixteen, he decided to take me on a week-long camping trip in the woods. It was after juvie, and Cass thought it would be a good influence for me. Help me put things into perspective. Drake had been aboveground for about two weeks, and he was barely more than mortal. I found all the pills in the house that had the potential to fuck him up and crushed them into all of our food and water. I didn’t want to take any chances. The first night, after he fell asleep, I stuck hot stakes through his hands to pin him to the ground, and. Well. We had seven days of uninterrupted bonding time, and I was a very angry person.” 

“He broke the end of the third day. I spilled so much of his ichor on the ground that all the plants within fifty yards of where we were died. The soil there is barren now. Nothing so corrupted could sustain life. When he died, I could see his soul exit his body. I saw it rise out of him, and I remember thinking I couldn’t let him escape, so I grabbed at his arm. I wanted him to burn and rot, and suddenly there was this fire where I touched him, and a crack appeared in the earth, and I saw him fall into Tartarus, screaming the entire way. The crack in the ground sealed, and it was like he had never been there.” 

“And then I was Hades,” Andrew finishes. The tomb is silent. 

“What did it feel like?” Neil asks quietly. “Ascending, I mean. I can’t imagine it,” Neil says. Of course, Andrew thinks. Neil was born a god. He was never a human, had never experienced what it was to be one of them, even during all of those years on the run. Andrew at least had grown up as one, even if that growth was miserable. 

“It felt like I had been trapped in a dark room my entire life and suddenly I was outside staring into the sun. I could feel the transience of all things, the fleeting aspirations of humanity, the eons of history that had been forgotten, every single death in the world, crying out for my attention, for my protection, for some kind of answer. On some level, the person I was on Earth still mattered, but I was keyed into something so much more powerful than that. It was like seeing the skeleton of the universe, and knowing only I could make it move. It burned the humanity out of me. I didn’t have the space for it,” Andrew says. 

“Allison says the same thing about Aphrodite,” Neil says, after a quiet stretch. 

“She’s right. Love and death are intertwined. Humanity is controlled by fear of one and desire for the other.” 

“These days, love and death are almost interchangeable. For me, at least,” Neil says. Andrew looks up sharply, but doesn’t say anything. What could he say? What foolish hopeful thing would spill out of him. Neil looks back steadily, but there is something on his face, something Andrew doesn’t want to see, something Andrew has been desperate for since the first time they met. 

“I should go,” Andrew says. Neither of them move. Cautiously, so cautiously, Neil moves towards him, careful not to disturb neither Andrew’s form nor the dust beneath them. He reaches his hand out so that it hovers over Andrew’s. Andrew breathes in and then out. 

_ love and death and life and neil and them and death and love and _

Andrew flips his hand and catches Neil’s, letting Neil intertwine their fingers. Neil’s breath flutters out from between his lips like a kaleidoscope of butterflies, and his pulse races against the delicate flesh on Andrew’s wrist. A muted glow begins to radiate from his skin, like he’s an incandescent light bulb, and Andrew feels like a moth, feels like Icarus, feels like he’s ascending again, staring into the brightest light in existence after an eternity underground. 

“The thing is,” Neil says carefully, measuring out his words for probably the first time in his life, “that death and love are intertwined, and so are death and new life, and so are new life and love. You can’t have any two without the third.” Neil looks at their hands, the way they fit together. Andrew is looking at Neil. 

His fingers tighten against Neil’s. 

They don’t move for a very long time. 

*

And then Neil is gone. He doesn’t text for days, which is unusual in and of itself, but Andrew’s messages don’t deliver either. In fact, none of Andrew’s messages to anyone deliver. Communications went down suddenly, and for whatever reason, Andrew is isolated in the land of the dead. There doesn’t seem to be any conflict, because the death tolls don’t spike the way they always do when gods clash, but Andrew knows better than to believe that everything above is especially copacetic. 

Land conflicts begin and end in weeks, as Riko starts fights and Kevin ends them. They keep an uneasy equilibrium as Kevin fends off whatever plans Riko has. Andrew considers going to the Pantheon a few times to check on him, but for some reason, it feels like a mistake. He rarely went above ground before Neil, and there’s no reason to ascend if Neil won’t be there. And it isn’t that Neil is dead, because Andrew would know. He’s been checking the logs of incoming souls compulsively, desperately trying to piece together what exactly is happening in the other realms. Neil isn’t dead.

Aaron, Nicky, and Renee don’t visit, and Andrew doesn’t know if that’s a relief or a trial, if it means they see no reason to let him know how they are or if it means they physically cannot contact him. He knows that he would be more useful in his own realm either way, knows that if he ascended he would just be another liability. He waits. 

Tetsuji Moriyama dies, but as a mortal instead of as a god. Andrew condemns him to Tartarus in an almost offhand way. As soon as Andrew heard about Kevin’s childhood at Tetsuji’s hands, his fate was sealed. The bastard doesn’t tell Andrew who he must have given the godhood to, if he was to die a mortal, and so Andrew waits again, for someone to finally tell him what the fuck is going on. 

*

That someone ends up being Nicky. For both their sins. 

Andrew wakes up one night with the knowledge that Nicky is petitioning to enter the Underworld, and he lets him in unthinkingly. 

“Andrew, you would not believe the shit that’s been going down above ground, it’s genuinely batshit,” Nicky says, before he stops, looks around, and then continues with, “Are we in your bedroom right now? Are you wearing silk pajamas? Are you actually more gay than me?” Andrew looks upwards, before remembering that in this realm, there is no higher power than himself to beg mercy from. Bee would laugh at that. 

Andrew closes his eyes and concentrates, opening his eyes to see a sort of sitting room. Nicky is sitting on a leather couch, and Andrew is… still wearing the silk pajamas. 

“Okay, as much as I want to ask you who your tailor is, because I can actually tell that those pjs are tailored, and that means so much to me,” Nicky begins gleefully. 

Andrew cuts him off with, “You wear hawaiian shirts and leopard print board shorts you don’t get to talk to me about fashion, now stop bullshitting me, and talk.” 

Nicky pouts a little bit, but shrugs the insult off, taking a sip of wine, and honestly, where did he even get that glass? Stupid question. God of wine. 

“First of all, it’s called camp, and it was a theme for the Met Gala. I’m a visionary, not an eyesore. Second of all, I don’t even know where to start. Remember when we all thought Neil was a tiny quiet baby? He is an unholy terror, and if he wasn’t so pretty, I’d call him a mouthy jackass.” Nicky’s hands move as he talks, but his wine never spills, rolling around the rim of the glass almost hypnotically. 

“Nicky.” 

“Oh hush- I mean. Not hush, but. I’m getting there, okay, you have to let me get there. Honestly, you’ve never valued the importance of a good story, and it’s okay, I don’t blame you for it, but there’s an art to storytelling and drama and theater, and it would behoove you to consider it once in a while-” 

“You get to lecture me on storytelling as soon as you tell me what the word ‘behoove’ means without using it in a sentence,” Andrew says, before leaning forwards and making eye contact. Nicky shuts up. “Nicky. I need you to tell me what’s going on, and I need you to tell me now.” Andrew doesn’t know what happens in his voice or on his face that makes Nicky sober up, but it works. 

“Yeah. Yeah okay, just. First tell me what you already know, and then I’ll fill in the gaps,” Nicky says, leaning back against the couch. The wine glass drops from his hand and falls into oblivion before it hits the floor. 

“I know that Zeus has only just now started making moves that he’s been planning for a long time now. I know that Neil is involved somehow. I know that Zeus is intent on replacing everyone on the Pantheon with people loyal to him from the Forge, and I know that there’s a new Hephaestus, even though I don’t know who it is. I also know that nobody else has died yet, and there aren’t any actual conflicts. Yet.” 

“Okay,” Nicky begins, before narrowing his eyes and visibly pulling himself together. “I’m not gonna lie, Andrew. Shit’s kinda scary these days. As soon as Neil showed up, things got really weird, kind of fast. Zeus and Hera would hold meetings with Hephaestus, and Neil got dragged into a few. He would usually get out of the meetings kind of bruised up, but he wouldn’t ever go to Aaron for healing. And then Riko showed up.” Nicky takes a deep breath, and takes a sip of his whiskey. 

“You know how much I hated Seth? I would take a million Seths over Riko. He was raised in the Forge, and he technically was supposed to return there after ascending, but he stuck around at the Pantheon instead, and we’re pretty sure he was just there to make our lives miserable. He increased naval warfare to pollute the oceans just to piss off Dan, he made references to Seth any time he was close to Allison, he even picked fights with Matt, called him out about his past as an addict,” Nicky’s voice is tight with loathing. 

“The thing is, every time Riko would pull his shit, Neil would be right there, accusing him of having a Napoleon complex or something. We all thought Neil had a death wish, cause he would throw himself in front of Kevin everytime Riko tried to interact with him. And he had the worst habit of just fucking off onto the mortal realm all the time, we would all think he had finally been killed for having a big fucking mouth, and then he would show up again all glowy and happy, until the next time Riko tried something with Kevin.” 

“Wait, hold on. Did Riko ever pick a fight with you or Aaron?” Andrew cuts in to ask. 

“No, and Neil figured out why. Zeus knew Dan and her crew were going to oppose him, but he wasn’t sure about where you’d fall if they started fighting. He knew you consider me and Aaron family, so he told Riko to stay away from us, just in case he pushed you to Dan’s side.” It makes sense. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades are a trinity so one of them can break a tie in power. Not to mention that Andrew has the loyalty of Artemis, Apollo, Dionysus, and Athena. He’s not someone Zeus could afford to piss off. 

“You’re using past tense. What changed?” Andrew asks. Nicky winces. 

“Zeus and Hera finally realized that the only person holding them back from taking over for good was you. Think about it. Aaron and Renee only work together as a set if you’re there to provide common ground. You’re the only thing that’s keeping Kevin from going back to the Forge and begging Riko’s forgiveness for leaving. Neil figured out that the next time you left the Underworld, they wouldn’t hesitate before killing you and replacing you. At that point, they could pick off the rest of us until Dan didn’t have a chance.” 

“So that’s why communications went down,” Andrew says. It’s not a question. 

“When Jean - he’s another Forge clone - became Hephaestus, Zeus got a little drunk and spilled a little more than he should have to his son. I’ve never seen Neil like that before. He went crazy when he heard what they were planning. He learned that Zeus could send messages from other people’s totems, so he forced Matt to shut down all communications between all the gods, just so you couldn’t be summoned. Which, by the way? Super inconvenient.” 

“Imagine how inconvenient it was for me,” Andrew remarks dryly. 

“I would apologize for not coming sooner, but again, that was Neil’s fault. He thought you might decide to go to the surface if anyone told you how fucked up things were getting, so he forced everyone to promise to not tell you anything while he negotiated.” 

“What do you mean negotiated, what could he have been negotiating?” Andrew asks, and he knows, he just knows he’s not going to like this answer. 

“He was negotiating for your life. And he won, he safely negotiated your safety. It’s just that the terms were really fucked up,” Nicky says, and Andrew can tell he’s dancing around a point, but he doesn’t have time for this- “He’s getting married to Riko. Today.” 

Oh. 

Oh no. 

Oh fuck no. 

“Andrew, holy shit, okay wait, maybe consider what you’re doing before you do anything-” Nicky babbles, but Andrew barely registers the noise. 

“When?” Andrew asks, and that sounds a little bit like a growl coming out of his throat. 

“In an hour, it isn’t official or binding, but it will be if we don’t move, so maybe you could let go of my shirt, because it isn’t tailored but I can hear ripping, and I really like this shirt-” Andrew lets go of Nicky’s shirt. He didn’t technically know he had grabbed Nicky’s shirt, but he isn’t going to dwell on it. 

“Oh shit,” Nicky yelps, as the Maserati appears in front of them both. Andrew goes to open the driver’s seat, but Nicky is suddenly standing in front of him, and Andrew is really about to run out of patience, and that isn’t going to be great for Nicky’s health, until Nicky opens his mouth to say, “Maybe you could change out of your pajamas before you storm the castle?” 

Andrew maintains that his silk pajamas are more fitting than the animal print board shorts, but he’ll change. After all, it is a wedding.


	4. Act 1: Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> End of Act 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter features the first piece of @sisaloofafump's incredible artwork! if the embedded image doesn't work for whatever reason, you can find it [ here!](https://flic.kr/p/2hk2V9V)

The doors of the Pantheon open slowly. Andrew stands back as they swing, hands clasped in front of him. The scene inside is a sight to behold.

All of the gods are decked out in their Sunday best, and not a single one of them looks happy. Dan and Matt are glowering at everyone, while Allison and Renee are smiling without an ounce of sincerity. Aaron has deigned to show up, but he left his girlfriend at home, and brought his bow, which is. Helpful of him. He’s standing with Kevin and Nicky as they throws back shots of what appears to be straight vodka. Any beverage Nicky wants to make alcoholic becomes alcoholic. They’re drinking the vodka for the taste. At the head of the hall, Zeus and Hera stand in front of Neil, Riko and a lanky man that Andrew assumes to be the new Hephaestus.

“I assume my invitation was lost in the mail,” Andrew says. He doesn’t need to raise his voice. Everyone in the halls stop dead and turns to the entrance. Their shadows lengthen unnaturally, slithering across the floor to pool at Andrew’s feet. Andrew peels off his leather gloves and drops them off the floor, letting his heavy overcoat fall with them. The garments hit the ground and melt into the shadows, revealing Andrew’s perfectly tailored tuxedo.

“Lord Hades,” Hera simpers, the first to recover from the shock, “it is an honor to welcome you of course. Communications between the gods have suffered as of late, thanks to our current Hermes, but rest assured that you are always welcome at any of the festivities we celebrate on Olympus.” Her words are sickly sweet, but her eyes are cold and evaluating. Andrew looks at Renee and nods once. To Poseidon’s chagrin, Renee slips away from the pack and walks towards Andrew quietly, situating herself behind Andrew’s left shoulder. Her bow manifests in her hand, but she keeps it lowered.

“I wonder at you, Lady Hera, that you would marry off not one but two of the newest additions to our collective while other, older, gods go unwed,” Andrew muses. His eyes flick to Kevin. Kevin makes a sort of face like he’s dying before swallowing heavily and making his way directly behind Andrew. Andrew moves forward into the hall, and both Renee and Kevin fall in step. Zeus’s eyes narrow.

“I had no idea that you were interested in such a match. Luckily, Riko is yet unwed, so there is still opportunity for you to select your future spouse,” Hera continues. Andrew looks towards Aaron, but Aaron is already moving to stand next to Kevin, on Andrew’s right. His bow is nocked and ready.

“Oh Hera, your generosity never ceases to astound me. Well, if you’re offering, bring me Persephone,” Andrew says. Aphrodite inhales sharply where she stands. Andrew refuses to look at her. Riko puts his hand on the hilt of his sword, now visible on his hip.

“Persephone? Oh, you don’t want him, he’s nothing but trouble. We’re sending him to the Forge to train him out of his rebellious behavior. You have your pick of mortals, by all means, say a name and they will appear. Would you like an actor? Or perhaps a singer of some sort?” Hera says, but Andrew isn’t listening, because that’s Neil. He’s stepped forwards, out of Riko’s reach, and now he’s only a few steps away. Andrew hasn’t seen him in so long; he almost forgot how quickly Neil could take his breath away.

Neil’s face is caught in a rictus between overwhelming relief and terror, and his eyes are over-bright. He’s wearing a navy tunic and soft black pants, his eyes rimmed with kohl and something shimmery on his skin that makes him glow; he looks like a star in the sky, like the reflection of the moon on the ocean. Andrew didn’t know what he would find when he confronted Neil on Olympus, but knew it would be devastating. He was right, as always.

“Andrew,” Neil mouths, before shaking himself a little bit. _ Neil, _, a small satisfied voice in Andrew’s brain sighs, before he remembers that he’s absolutely furious at Neil and is going to kill him as soon as possible. He doesn’t understand it, doesn’t understand how Neil could possibly have agreed to marry Riko, why he wouldn’t have just come to Andrew.

He supposes Neil was trying to protect him, and the notion terrifies him. Andrew doesn’t need protection, and he certainly doesn’t need it from someone as vulnerable as Neil. Still though, there’s something that warms inside of him at the concept of Neil trying to throw himself onto this explosion for him. He doesn’t think anyone has tried to protect him from anything in his life.

But Neil is a fool if he thinks it doesn’t go both ways. Andrew walks towards Neil as if in a trance, because apparently his body knows exactly what he needs and is willing to override his mind entirely to access it. Even when Andrew is about to kill Neil, there’s really only one place he ever wants to be.

Riko seems to have an issue with that, if the short sword at Andrew’s neck is any indication of his mental state.

“Step away from my betrothed,” Riko growls. Before Andrew can react, Neil has reached out and grabbed Riko’s outstretched wrist.

“If you touch him with that sword, I will rip out your heart in offering to Demeter,” Neil bites out. Allison gasps again.

“Oh Persephone, your gallantry, while appreciated, is unnecessary. Ricky here isn’t going to touch me, aren’t you Ares?” Andrew says with a sunny smile. Both Riko and Neil turns their heads to see what Andrew has been banking on the entire time. Aaron and Renee have their bows aimed and ready at Riko’s head and groin respectively. Without being asked or cued, Nicky has wrapped vines around Hephaestus’s feet to prevent him from stepping in on Riko’s behalf, and if Riko were to press forwards either way, he would run into the Aegis, a shield that Kevin can deploy to protect any person from any blow.

Andrew might not have his powers in this realm, but that never meant he was powerless. Andrew lifts a dainty finger to the edge of Riko’s sword and pushes it away. He looks Riko in the eye, and without breaking eye contact, makes a shooing gesture.

A few tense moments later, Riko steps backwards.

Andrew moves forwards and Neil meets him in the middle. This close, Andrew can see the tinge of a bruise high on a cheekbone, can see the slightly awkward way he’s holding himself that speaks to bruised ribs or worse. Andrew reaches one hand upwards where it rests on the bruise. Neil winces even though the touch is gentle.

“Oh Riko, they tried to pawn damaged goods onto you. Doesn’t that just rankle?” Andrew asks, but he knows everyone can hear the rage that undercuts the words, can tell how thoroughly his control has been dismantled.

“Don’t worry, it’s purely cosmetic,” Neil says, and Andrew glares.

“When I want to hear your opinion, I’ll ask,” Andrew bites out, and even though Andrew can actually hear Dan’s hackles rise, Neil just smiles softly, like Andrew needs to be reassured. Andrew turns on his heel sharply, facing Hera directly. “I’ll take this one,” Andrew says, and if Allison keeps gasping like that, Andrew is going to throw something at her.

“Neil is promised to Riko,” Zeus cuts in to say.

“Riko doesn’t mind, do you?” Andrew says, and Riko, visibly furious, grinds his teeth and shakes his head. “See? No harm no foul,” Andrew says cheerily. Neil’s breath has stopped, and Andrew doesn’t know if its out of fear or hope. Under his breath, Andrew asks, “Do you trust me?” Neil nods once in Andrew’s periphery.

Zeus steps forwards, but Hera stops him with a hand on his arm. “That is quite the request, Lord Hades. I’ll admit, I hesitate to let go of a son so newly returned to our halls. Perhaps an intermediary period where we can all get used to the concept or consider alternatives?” She sounds willing to compromise but Hades has seen her rage enough to know that she has almost run out of patience.

Luckily, Andrew won’t be keeping them for long.

“That sounds eminently agreeable,” Andrew begins, and Hera relaxes, “but I don’t trust you to uphold any bargain with me, so for the intermediary period,” Andrew knots his hands in the front of Neil’s tunic, and Neil immediate grabs onto Andrew’s arms, leaning close and bracing for impact, “Persephone will be staying with me.”

Hera and Riko leap forwards but Andrew is already falling into the shadows at his feet with Neil tucked into his chest. Just before Andrew’s back collides with the floor, the shadows engulf them, and they are falling through a dark abyss, the halls of the Pantheon no longer visible.


	5. Interlude

> _Going near him [Hadês] and stopping, the powerful Argos-killer said to him: _  
_“Hadês! Dark-haired one! King of the dead!_  
_ Zeus the Father orders that I have splendid Persephone_  
_brought back up to light from Erebos back to him and his company, so that her mother_  
_may see her with her own eyes and let go of her wrath and terrible mênis_  
_against the immortals._

**Hermes **: Test.  
**Hermes **: The totems are now functional again. You should be able to receive messages now.  
**Hermes **: Speaking of which, what the fuck?  
**Hermes **: Hey, Andrew? What the fuck?

*

**Dionysus **: Jesus Fuck! was that planned?  
**Dionysus **: did you just kidnap Neil?  
**Dionysus **: how do you even know Neil????  
**Dionysus **: fine then, don't respond to ur cousin who loves you  
**Dionysus **: i don't care!!!! i’m done with the drama!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
**Dionysus **: ANDREW

*

**Athena **: We’ll regroup shortly. Make sure Neil doesn’t break anything down there.  
**Athena **: I don’t know what the fuck we were thinking. This is going to go so poorly. 

*

**Artemis**: cleaning up aftermath, will be in touch later  
**Artemis**: no casualties to report on my end.  
**Artemis**: i’m with you for as long as this takes

*

**Aphrodite**: I know why you did it. I didn’t expect it, but statistically speaking, I had to be wrong once. Dan is still wary, but Renee and I will take care of that.  
**Aphrodite**: This doesn’t mean I give a shit about you, I’ve just grown somewhat fond of Neil.  
**Aphrodite**: He’s like a puppy. A very poorly trained, aggressive, bitey puppy.  
**Aphrodite**: With terrible taste. 

* 

**Poseidon**: I swear on all of the oceans, if you touch Neil I’ll kill you  
**Poseidon**: that display was deeply hardcore tho

*

**Apollo**: You better know what the hell you're doing.


	6. Act 2: Chapter 1

>   
_So he spoke. Hadês, King of the Dead, smiled_   
_with his brows,[42] and he did not disobey the order of Zeus the King._   
_Swiftly he gave an order to bright-minded Persephone._   
_ “Go, Persephone, to your mother, the one with the dark robe._   
_ Have a kindly disposition and thûmos in your breast._   
_Do not be too upset, excessively so._   
_I will not be an unseemly husband to you, in the company of the immortals._   
_I am the brother of Zeus the Father. If you are here,_   
_you will be queen of everything that lives and moves about,_   
_and you will have the greatest tîmai in the company of the immortals._   
_Those who violate dikê– will get punishment for all days to come_   
_ —those who do not supplicate your menos with sacrifice,_   
_performing the rituals in a reverent way, executing perfectly the offerings that are due.”_   
_So he spoke. And high-minded Persephone rejoiced._   
_Swiftly she set out, with joy. _

Andrew snaps his eyes open. He reaches outside of his body and feels the underworld react to his will, raising his prone form from the ground to a bed. His entire body aches, thanks to the shadow travel, and even now it feels like there is a weight on his chest, constricting his breath and-

Wait no, that’s Neil.

Oh shit wait, that’s Neil. Andrew looks down and yeah, that’s definitely Neil. On his chest. On his bed.

Neil opens his eyes, looking around blearily before seeing Andrew. He smiles softly and closes his eyes again. Andrew stays frozen because, what? Neil’s eyes flash open and he shoots straight up, hitting his head on Andrew’s chin and then tumbling off of the side of the bed.

“I’ve always admired your grace,” Andrew muses. Neil’s head pops up on the side of the bed. Andrew doesn’t bother getting up. Neil is going to be reacting for a while, and he’s comfy.

“Holy shit, what the fuck Andrew,” Neil says. It doesn’t seem to be a question, so Andrew doesn’t respond. “Oh god, where are we? Are we in the underworld? How did we get here? Did you take us down here? How did you even know about the wedding? Someone must have told you. Who told? I bet it was Nicky. That was so fucking risky, I’m gonna kill him, I swear. Why did everyone respond to you like that? Do you have a deal with Renee or something? That was a declaration of war, you realize that right? Oh shit, Riko is going to go insane. Serves the bastard right, obviously, but still. Are you planning on answering any of these questions or?” Neil bitches.

“You seem to be doing just fine on your own. Batting one-hundred, if you will,” Andrew offers.

“What have I told you about the baseball terminology, you know I hate it,” Neil says, calming down at the familiar patter.

“I do know this about you,” Andrew says. Neil turns and looks at him. He’s still dressed in his wedding garb, and Andrew is still in his tux, and it almost feels like they just came home from a function, like they’re getting ready for bed. Andrew wills them into a sitting area.

“Oh, what?” Neil says, upon looking down and seeing the leather couch underneath him. Andrew waits for anything to follow, but Neil looks truly lost at this point.

Andrew moves to the couch Neil is sitting on. “Neil, you’re safe here. Nobody can reach you without my permission. If someone comes and you want them gone, I can banish them. This is the safest place for you to be right now. You’re safe,” Andrew says, “now breathe with me.” They sit together and take deep breaths for a few moments. Neil calms down noticeably and starts to take in his surroundings.

Everyone expects the underworld to be all obsidian floors and dark walls, but Andrew would rather not spend his entire life in a castle from a gothic horror novel. The floors are a dark walnut, but the walls are cream, with burgundy and grey accents. The furniture is mostly leather, but not the shitty uncomfortable kind, the ultra plush chairs and sofa that you can sink into for hours. The only way you can tell you aren’t in the mortal world is the way the room phases out of existence when it exits your periphery.

Also the massive cat with three heads. That also tips people off to the otherworldliness of it all.

“Oh my god, that cat,” Neil says in rapturous tones. “Andrew is that your cat? That’s the fattest cat I’ve ever seen.” He’s right. Cerberus is already massive as a hellhound, but she’s also obese. “What's its name?” Neil asks, as the cat leaps onto the couch between them and bats insistently at Andrew’s face.

“The orange head is Sir, the grey head is King, and the splotchy one is Duke,” Andrew says. Neil freezes as he scritches behind King’s ears. He looks up at Andrew slowly, with an unholy glee in his eyes.

“What are the full names?” Neil asks. Andrew forces his face into absolute stoicism.

“Sir Fat Cat McCatterson, King Fluffkins, and Duke Furrington, the fourth of her name.” No smiles whatsoever. Stone cold killer. Neil, on the other hand, appears to be suffering from an aneurysm and a stroke at the same time. If they’re different things. Aaron is the medicine one, not him.

“Who named them? Nicky?” Neil finally breathes out, between whoops of laughter.

“Nope,” Andrew says, and refuses to speak further. Neil seems to understand what that means however, and howls with laughter, sliding down the couch until his head is at a ninety degree angle against the rest of his body. He subsides from his hysteria, and sighs loud and long.

“I don’t remember the last time I laughed that hard,” Neil finally says. He’s calmed down now, and Andrew can begin to start asking Neil what the fuck he was thinking.

“Neil, what the fuck were you thinking?” Andrew says. Neil looks up at him and his smile doesn’t leave his face, though it fades a little. He doesn’t pretend to not know what Andrew is talking about.

“I wasn’t thinking. I heard what they were going to do to you, and I didn’t think. I knew you wouldn’t surface if you didn’t know what you were walking into, so I made sure you wouldn’t. After that, the negotiations were easy.”

“What possessed you to agree to marrying Riko? Why was that even on the table?” Andrew asks. Neil huffs out a laugh.

“I was supposed to marry him as soon as he ascended. I’m a child of Zeus’ infidelity, and that drastically weakens Hera’s power. She needed me to be married so she could have me under her domain, which would somehow end the curse of my bastardy, I don’t know how, I didn’t listen to her usually, too focused on not dying. But she couldn’t force me into the marriage, or it wouldn’t count. To avoid her attempts at persuasion, I found you. Right before Zeus found me, my mother told me that your aura, even on Earth, would shield me from their view. It was pretty clear that they were scared shitless of you, so I tried to figure out what kind of person you would end up being, whether or not I would be better off with them.”

“Unfortunately, what actually ended up happening was me realizing you were ten times the god than all of them combined just as Hera realized what she really needed was leverage. Nathan got drunk, spilled his plans to kill you and replace you, and I, as I said before, stopped thinking. I showed my hand too early, and they had what they needed.”

“I was planning on going along with it, and then killing Riko in his sleep somehow. Of course, then you showed up, and now we’re here, petting your very social cat,” Neil finishes, with his hand buried in Cerberus’s fur.

“And the bruise?” Andrew asks. Neil winces.

“The month before the wedding, Hera sent me to live with Riko. Just to see how the life would treat me,” Neil says.

“Did he touch you?” Andrew asks, and if the answer is a yes, then he will personally make sure that Riko’s skin is flayed from his body before he is killed, and then he will make sure that skin-flaying is involved in whatever torture Andrew can think up in Tartarus.

“No. Not like that. He wanted to wait until the wedding night, and Hera didn’t want there to be any complications about the legitimacy of the marriage, or even my status as an eligible husband. She didn’t want me to be unchaste, if that makes sense.”

It does, of course, make a gruesome and despicable sort of sense, but Andrew is grateful nonetheless, that Neil wouldn’t have to endure that treatment. Would never have to endure that treatment, if Andrew had anything to say about it.

“He won’t get another opportunity,” Andrew says, and Andrew can hear the violence in his own words, but Neil just smiles at him, soft and easy.

“I know that. You wouldn’t let him,” he says. “That’s why I didn’t tell you. I knew you would come to get me, and I was scared that I’d be the end of you.” Technically accurate, but absolutely not appreciated.

Andrew wills them to an outdoor sitting area, overlooking some of the Fields of Asphodel.

“God, okay, yeah that’s still freaky,” Neil mutters.

“Two more times and you’ll barely notice. Three more times and you’ll be doing it on your own,” Andrew says. “If there’s anything in the world that you would want right now, what would it be?” Andrew asks.

“Um. I don’t know. I’m mostly good right now, honestly. Maybe a drink?” Right as he says that, a strawberry smoothie pops onto the table next to him. He rears back from it, looking up at Andrew with scared eyes.

“This is a realm of willpower. If you want to summon an object from the world above, think hard and it will appear. The more familiar you are with the object, the better the quality,” Andrew explains. Neil takes a cautious sip of the smoothie, and makes a surprised face when it ends up not being poisonous.

“Is there no food from here that I could eat?” Neil asks, but Andrew is already shaking his head.

“No. The food here has different rules. Anything from this realm is designed for the Hades at the time, and the food here seeks to claim new people for me. It seeks to possess. If you eat anything from this realm, you won’t just be stuck in Hades forever, you’ll be stuck with me forever, and I don’t think you’d have a great time with that,” Andrew clarifies. Neil gets a bullheaded expression on his face that Andrew knows to be the precursor to some new death wish behavior, but instead the expression fades into contemplation.

Neil closes his eyes, and when he opens them, he’s out of his wedding garb, and into a faded pair of jorts and a t-shirt that somehow looks twice as old. Andrew despairs.

“I’m liking this place already,” Neil says, and even though it’s a joke, Andrew knows it’s a joke, it still sounds sincere. Neil closes his eyes again, and Andrew watches as the dull yellows of the Fields of Asphodel brighten into dark and bright greens, rich with new life and perfumed by unfurling buds of new blooms. The souls seem to brighten as they wander.

Andrew looks at Neil, now trying his hardest to manifest what appears to be a miniature foosball table, and thinks he understands how the fields must feel.


	7. Act 2: Chapter 2

Aaron is the first of them to seek answers, which is honestly a surprise to Andrew. Aaron has given up on trying to keep track of Andrew these days, but there it is, the petition in the back of Andrew’s head requesting entrance. 

When Aaron appears, Neil leaps a foot off the ground. Neil was a fool and revealed that he knew how excel spreadsheets worked and he and Andrew were hard at work logging souls and setting up spreadsheets for each of the realms of the undead. Andrew thought for sure Neil would chafe at the idea, but Neil seems to genuinely love math and statistics, so he’s willingly carrying the workload while Andrew just does a lot of inputting. 

“Kidnapping and slave labor? Come on, Andrew, that’s beneath you,” Aaron says dryly, when he sees what's on the computer screens. 

“Nothing is beneath me Aaron, I’m the god of the underworld,” Andrew quips back. Aaron breaks into a rare smile. 

“So some shit went down, huh?” he asks. 

“Understatement of the year, brother mine, but why are you asking me, you were there,” Andrew says, quitting his minesweeper game, and standing up. 

“Just wanted to broach the topic the way normal people do, but I see you’ve been isolated from humanity so long you forgot all social graces,” Aaron says in response. Andrew leans against the table, and Aaron moves to take his seat. Neil is bristling, interestingly enough. “So, what’s the plan, Stan?”

“I assume you have a recommendation of some sort,” Andrew says. 

“Not even close. I have genuinely no fucking clue what the fuck to do from this point on. I just don’t know,” Aaron says, spreading his hands in faux-supplication. 

“Luckily for you, I do,” Neil finally interjects, and his voice is wintery. Aaron’s eyes fly towards Neil, evaluating, before Andrew sees that martial light he always sees right before Aaron decides to press some buttons. Andrew pushes people’s buttons because he knows what the buttons will do. Aaron pushes buttons to see what happens. It’s why he’s such a good scientist and such a shitty conversationalist. 

“Oh, so Stockholm Syndrome has an opinion on this? I’m thrilled,” Aaron says. Neil’s eyes become flinty. 

“Whether or not you respect my opinion means nothing to me. I’m the one with in depth knowledge of Zeus’s plans and operations, I’m the one who learned the ins and outs of the Forge to a degree that even Kevin can’t match, and I’m the one who negotiated the protection of not only Andrew, but also Nicky, you and even Katelyn, who I don’t even like that much. You don’t have to know what to do from now on. You just have to do what I say,” Neil says. He stood up as he was speaking, and now he looms over Aaron, laser-focused and furious in his intensity. 

“Hey, hot-shot, go take a lap,” Andrew says, after two seconds of tense silence. Neil takes one beat to narrow his eyes before turning on his heel. 

Right before he leaves the room, he turns to Andrew, and says, “I don’t like him,” before leaving. It took awhile for Neil to figure out doors in the underworld. Andrew explained that it was a question of willpower, where, as Neil stepped through the doorway, all he needed to do was think about where he wanted to be in the underworld, and Neil would be in that room. The first couple of tries, Neil just ended up reentering the same room through a different door, but when Andrew went first, Neil didn’t seem to have any difficulty following him. 

The first few times Neil accidentally walked into Andrew’s bedroom while trying to get to his guest room were interesting experiences for them both. After about ten times, they both just took it in stride. 

When Neil is gone, Aaron looks up at Andrew and grins like a demon. “I like him,” Aaron says, and Andrew rolls his eyes. 

“He’s pissy for some reason today, I don’t know why,” Andrew says, before sitting in Neil’s recently vacated seat. 

“He didn’t like how I was giving you shit,” Aaron says. Andrew furrows his brows, but Aaron shakes his head before Andrew can respond. “Andrew, trust me, every time I opened my mouth he wound tighter. When I said you were isolated, I thought he was going to leap across the table and rip out my throat or something. He’s always about three seconds from going feral.” Andrew knew that last one, but he’s not opposed to it. Neil feral is usually a Neil with sparks flying from his hair and mouth, eyes bright and sharp. It’s a good look. 

“Your arms are too short to be reaching this far,” Andrew finally settles on, and Aaron shakes his head. “I didn’t want to put you in this position,” Andrew says. “You’re in danger now, because I made a choice without thinking and pulled you into the line of fire. I never wanted to do that.” 

“I would do the same for Katelyn, and I would expect you to back me,” Aaron says, resolute.

“He’s not like Katelyn,” Andrew says, and Aaron’s hackles rise. It was the wrong thing to say. Andrew had been incredibly distant from Aaron as he had come into his own as Apollo, letting the other gods, especially Renee, instruct him. Katelyn, the oracle Bee chose before Aaron ascended, had been the one to ground him emotionally. Andrew hadn’t been able to see past his own fear that Aaron would fall back into the same abusive patterns he had lived his life in. There was a period of intense conflict, but ultimately, Aaron made it clear that Katelyn would stay in his life, whether or not Andrew chose to. 

Over time, Andrew learned that Katelyn was a strong personality, but would rather die than allow any harm come to Aaron. He also learned that Katelyn was not above bribery, and had some of Bee’s secret dessert recipes. They rarely interact, but these days Andrew doesn’t view her as an enemy. That being said, Aaron hasn’t forgotten that period of time at all, and is conditioned to defend Katelyn at a moment’s notice when in Andrew’s presence. 

“I thought we were past this Andrew, Katelyn is the love of my life and I am never going to-“ 

“I know. That’s not what I’m saying. Neil isn’t- He doesn’t- he’s here because the underworld is the only place he’s safe from Zeus. He’s not- we’re not.” Andrew gives up. Aaron doesn’t look angry now. Andrew would call the expression pity if he didn’t know exactly what pity looked like on Aaron’s face. It feels like understanding, and if Aaron understands him, then Andrew is significantly more fucked up over this idiot than he ever wanted to be. 

“I didn’t think I would ever see you like this,” Aaron says, and Andrew fails to muster up a glare. 

“Yeah, me neither.” 

“Hey, shit-talking aside, the sun smiles on you. Both of you. As long as it takes, okay?” Aaron says. Andrew doesn’t say anything for a few moments. They’ve progressed so much since Andrew found Aaron, right after Tilda Minyard died in an overdose, and Andrew suddenly came into the knowledge that he had an entire family out there that he had never even knew existed. Aaron had been miserable and strung out on too many drugs to list, waiting for death to take him. To be fair, that’s exactly what had happened. 

“Yeah, I know,” Andrew says, and Aaron smiles, a small proud thing. Andrew has made such a point of never needing Aaron, of appearing like a distant superior rather than a brother desperate for contact he didn’t know how to ask for. For Andrew to finally admit that he trusts his brother to be there when it counts is a significant milestone for them. Bee would be proud.   
Bee proud. 

“I gotta go, but I’ll let Renee, Kevin and Nicky know that everything is copacetic so far,” Aaron finally says, standing up. He pauses, and turns to Andrew. “For what it’s worth, Neil put himself in the position of never being safe again before he put you in danger. He’s not the one who came here, you brought him here,” he puts his hand up quickly, “and yes, that was the right move, and I’m with you. But. He put you above his own safety, when literally everything in his past told him not to. That means something. Just think about it,” and with that, Aaron disappears, leaving Andrew alone. 

Well. Not alone. 

*

In retrospect, maybe Andrew should have warned Neil about Nicky and Renee showing up before they appeared in front of him. Maybe. 

Andrew has never seen Neil interact with Renee before, and the fear and mistrust that radiates off of him would almost be amusing if it weren’t so confusing. All she’s really doing is sitting quietly as Nicky yells. It’s a lot of yelling. 

“-totally unfair to ignore all of my messages right after I’m the one who snitched and gave you all the information that you needed to pull that off,” Nicky says. 

“Actually, now that you brought it up, what the fuck were you thinking Nicky, Andrew could have died after that stunt you pulled,” Neil says, suddenly remembering his own outrage. 

Neil had been bored of walking the grounds, and was about to start growing fruits when Andrew put him to work grooming Cerberus. When Nicky suddenly appeared, already throwing around accusations, he had been too taken aback to respond, and Cerberus had sat down on his thighs, preventing his escape. Even now, Cerberus is planted on Neil’s lap, the world’s biggest nuisance, all three heads purring loud enough to be audible across the room. 

“Oh please, you clearly don’t know Andrew at all if you think he could ever die,” Nicky says, brushing off Neil’s outrage as easily as a few spilled drops of vodka. Renee tilts her head to the side as if allowing Nicky that point. At that gesture, Neil quiets, focusing back on Renee with narrowed eyes. 

“Nicky, I didn’t text you back because you’re annoying, not because I don’t respect your input and definitely not because you’re a snitch. You being a snitch is very good for me. That being said, could you shut the fuck up for maybe five seconds so we can talk about the war I declared, or would you like to spend more time airing your personal grievances?” Andrew finally says. 

After a few seconds, Nicky says, “I am absolutely going to air my grievances at some point, but yes, okay, we can talk about the other stuff.” Andrew supposes that’s fair. 

“Renee, what’s it looking like up top?” Andrew asks. 

“So far, they’re pretending the intermediary period means something to them, so there haven’t been any all out acts of war. Riko is smarting after your display though, and he’s taking it out on Jean,” Renee says. 

“And I care about Jean?” Andrew asks. She looks away for a second before looking back. 

“Only because it’s a sign of discord in their ranks,” she says. Andrew hms thoughtfully. She clears her throat. Andrew narrows his eyes. She raises her eyebrows. He raises one of his. 

“This is thrilling, but I thought you wanted to talk about the war, not just stare into each other’s eyes,” Nicky says. “God, I always feel like such a third wheel when I spend time with you.” Renee rolls her eyes so hard Andrew thinks she might have pulled something, but when Nicky looks to see why Andrew snickered, her face is perfectly composed. 

“Do we have news about Kevin?” Andrew asks. “I assumed he would join you.” 

“He thought it would be too conspicuous if we all three visited. Too obviously war planning. He’ll come by later, but right now he’s also dealing with more than a few issues,” Renee says. “Riko is stirring more than a few things up, and it’s taking Kevin, Dan and Aaron to keep it all under control.” Renee, unlike Nicky, knows how to give reports. She was Artemis’ right hand woman for years in the hunt, after Stephanie encountered her in the gang she was a runner for. Stephanie was taken aback at the young woman holding her own in a male-dominated gang of fighters. And then she realized why Renee, Natalie at the time, could keep up with her peers. 

Natalie didn’t fight. She hunted. 

She had a keen eye and a terrifying understanding of the human psyche. She never entered a fair fight in her life, treating every opponent not as a competitor, but as prey. She set traps, took hostages, tracked targets from building to building, street to street until they let their guard down. Then, she would strike. Her lethality was unparalleled. She was known as the most deadly weapon in Osaka. 

Artemis thought she could be more. 

Stephanie pulled strings until Natalie was chosen to ascend as Nemesis, goddess of revenge. Then, she took Natalie into her pack, made her lieutenant, and groomed her as an heir. Natalie became Renee, reborn into the mantle of Artemis, and since then has maintained a scrupulous control over not only herself, but everything in her domain. Andrew doesn’t trust anyone more than her. 

Nicky thinks they’re fucking, because for all of the perception Renee got, Nicky lost it. 

“What’s the situation with Dan’s group?” Neil asks. Renee turns to him and smiles, a genuine welcome into the conversation, but Neil appears to trust it about as much as Nicky could throw it. 

“As you know, I am working on convincing them that this is the side to be on, but they will need confirmation that you aren’t being mistreated. They mistrust Andrew, but they adore you, and as soon as they realize that working with Andrew is in your best interest, they will do so. For whatever reason, Allison is also advocating for you, though she says to tell you it’s not because you as a person or god deserve her advocacy,” Renee says, addressing the last part at Andrew. 

“She has made me aware,” Andrew responds deadpan, and Renee smiles a small pleased smile at her not-girlfriend’s general jackassery. One of her and Andrew’s many similarities is a weakness for mouthy brats, and unfortunately, Allison hit the jackpot by not only being the biggest loudmouth in the world, but also possessing literally superhuman beauty. Renee never stood a goddamn chance. 

“What should we be working on right now, while we wait for our more recalcitrant potential allies to shape up?” Andrew asks Neil. Neil seems to be surprised that Andrew would defer to him, but he rises to the occasion immediately, puffing up a bit and throwing a quick glance at Renee, as if to make sure she’s watching. 

“We need a list of replacements that we can immediately pass the mantles to after conquest. I’m talking about people who are aware of the Pantheon or who can be made aware about the Pantheon, so that they can start fighting with us as soon as they ascend, no questions asked. Previous gods who went into retirement would be helpful, especially ones you know and trust,” Neil says. Renee nods, intent, and Nicky seems taken aback at how quickly Neil has taken to giving orders. 

“Do we know who they plan to replace us with?” Andrew asks, because he’s not dumb enough to assume that their enemies didn’t also come to this conclusion. 

“I know a few. I killed your supposed replacement already Andrew, so you don’t have to worry about that,” Neil says, and Nicky actually gasps at that. 

“You just killed a guy?” Nicky asks. “Just like that? He hadn’t even done anything.” 

“He would have if I let him,” Neil says, voice sharp, “be glad I didn't.” Nicky shuts up, but he flicks wide eyes to Andrew and Renee for support. When he doesn’t get it, he subsides entirely. 

“As I was saying. Dan is supposed to get replaced by Riko’s older brother, a man named Ichirou. He’s a threat, but they aren’t powerful enough to touch Dan as it is, so that’s a long ways away. They’re betting that Kevin will return to them, so he doesn’t have a replacement. The contender for new Artemis is a woman named Thea, but she has more loyalty to Kevin than she does the rest of them, and right now, Kevin is with us. Also, Kevin wants to revitalize Nike, and I think she’s a way better fit for that. Other than Thea and Ichirou, they have a brute of a guy called the Gorilla, and he’s supposed to replace Matt. Honestly though, it’s in their best interest to just keep the rest of the less powerful gods barely alive, and handle the gaps after they’ve won. That’s why it’s so important that we take as many people as we can get.” 

“Should we have replacements for ourselves? If we need to retire?” Renee asks, and Nicky actually jumps at the question. They all hold a breath, turn to Nicky and then hold another breath. 

“I don’t think that should be necessary, not at this point,” Neil finally says, and Renee nods. 

Nicky’s ascension was less natural than some of the others on the Pantheon. Andrew bargained for both Aaron and Nicky to ascend, but the process of asking Bee to consider Aaron as an heir was very different from the year-long whatever the fuck he was doing with Roland back when Roland was Dionysus instead of Thanatos and Nicky was just a closeted kid in a shitty family. 

Roland had met Nicky once before deciding that he was the appropriate heir to the throne of Dionysus. However, Roland didn’t want to give up godhood, no matter how much he liked Nicky and wanted to help. Andrew promised to clear up a position in the underworld for him, as Thanatos, God of Death, and after a year of carefully controlled hookups and a lot of terrible fashion decisions from all three of them, Nicky moved to the Pantheon, Roland moved to the underworld, and Andrew broke things off between them, to nobody’s surprise or regret. 

Nicky took to being a god with more aplomb than anyone expected, blooming into the extravagant, loud and proud, and generally intoxicated man that he was always supposed to be, that he had never been allowed to be. He found his Ariadne, a German man named Erik with superhuman good looks, and nobody, not Aaron, not Nicky, not Andrew looked back at Luther or Maria or Tilda for a second.

“We should be leaving soon, it’s dangerous to leave the mortal realm for too long, but we’ll meet again,” Renee says, standing up and taking Nicky with her. She tries one more smile at Neil, and when faced with his scowl, turns the smile to Andrew. 

“Be well and be safe,” Andrew says, and she winks, grabs Nicky’s elbow, and is gone. As soon as she is entirely out of the realm, Andrew turns to Neil. “What is your deal with Renee?” 

“I don’t have a deal with Renee,” Neil lies. Andrew just sits and stares. “Okay I have a little bit of a deal with Renee, but that’s not the problem. I mean, there isn’t a problem.” 

“Color me convinced. All hail Neil, prince of lies,” Andrew deadpans. 

“Okay, I have extensive problems with Renee, but they aren’t her fault or her problem. I don’t trust her, but my reasons are irrational, and I’m working on them,” Neil finally says. “Do we have to go further?” 

“Does she make you feel unsafe? Because if so, she doesn’t have to come here, or at least, she doesn’t have to be where you are when she visits,” Andrew offers. Neil stops still, cocks his head to the side. 

“You would do that? For me?” Neil asks, and his words are weighted abnormally. 

“You live here. You’re here so you can feel safe. That never stopped being the priority. If you don’t want her around, we can make that work,” Andrew says. Neil stares for a few more long moments before blinking heavily and shaking his head. 

“No, I’m okay with her being around. If you trust her, so do I,” Neil settles on, and that doesn’t make any sense, because Neil doesn’t trust anyone. 

“Are you sure?” Andrew asks one more time, but after Neil nods, he drops it, and Neil seems grateful. 

“So you killed my replacement, huh?” Andrew asks after a few moments of calm silence. 

“Yes,” Neil says, but he doesn’t offer any more details. 

“Why?” Andrew finally asks. He can outlast Neil in stubbornness about fifty percent of the time, but he’s feeling impatient. 

“They weren’t willing to take killing you off the table, at least not in any real way. I found and killed your replacement so it would be more of an effort on their part to break our deal. It was a way to buy time, and I’m not sorry,” Neil says. 

“I didn’t ask for an apology,” Andrew responds. Neil looks up and smiles. 

“You’re right, you didn’t. You never do.” 

“Who were they?” Andrew asks. 

“Bastard named Proust. He was friends with the old Hades, so I drew it out. Put him down in Oakland with the last son of a bitch who tried to cross you. The soil there isn’t barren anymore, if you ever wanted to visit,” Neil says, and there’s a grim satisfaction in his voice, as if he relished the opportunity to do harm to someone who would have harmed Andrew. It’s a brutal ruthless edge to Neil, one that rarely rears its head, but is always present. 

Andrew loves it. 

“We’ll go sometime. When this all shakes out,” Andrew says, and the smile that spreads over Neil’s face looks more like a knife than anything else, but fuck if Andrew doesn’t love his knives.


	8. Act 2: Chapter 3

Kevin shows up within two days of Nicky and Renee’s visit. His petition for entrance is always so much more annoying than anyone else’s, like a siren in the back of Andrew’s head, loud and piercing, and always proclaiming an emergency that shouldn’t actually be an emergency. 

“Kevin incoming,” Andrew says to Neil, who doesn’t even look up from the computer screen. At this point, Andrew is starting to believe that Neil likes running the underworld even more than Andrew does. He’s taking to the bureaucracy of it all like a fish to water, stirring everything up and setting new initiatives in place like administrative dynamite. The whole realm seems brighter these days, and the plants that start blooming whenever Neil so much as smiles add to that perception. Right now, Andrew can count fifteen sunflowers and zero suns in the room with him. 

It’s strange though, how all of the sunflowers turn to Andrew whenever he moves, growing closer to him, as if they’re convinced he’s the sun. In fact, most of Neil’s flowers tend to bloom or move to him whenever he passes by. He assumes it’s because he’s the power source of the realm and magical flowers are just weird like that. 

“You would not believe the nightmare of a situation your stunt has put me through,” Kevin says as he appears, already in lecture mode. “You don’t even think before you involve me-” Andrew banishes him. Neil loses his mind with laughter, probably fucking up Andrew’s whole kingdom with the words he inputs by slamming his forehead on the keyboard. 

Kevin petitions for entrance again, and Andrew denies it. They go through that about three more times before Andrew finally lets him in again. 

“You suck,” Kevin says before sitting down on a couch petulantly. Neil is still laughing. “Nice to see that you’re doing well, you shithead. You couldn’t have sent a text letting me know what the fuck was happening?” Kevin asks Neil. 

“Communications were down,” Neil says, as if it’s any kind of excuse. 

“You’re the one who shut them down, you tiny pissant,” Kevin bites back. 

“I may be a pissant, but at least I’m not a pedantic control freak,” Neil fires back. There’s silence for two seconds. “Seriously though, how are you? Everything okay with Riko?” Neil asks, tone completely different from before. 

“I’ll be fine. He can’t touch me if I don’t let him, and I’ve decided I won’t let him anymore,” Kevin says, and the only sign that he’s worried about anything is the way his voice shakes. Andrew smiles, a proud thing, and he sees it echoed on Neil’s face. 

“Well then. Glad to have you on board Athena. Would you like to help me plan the battles that are going to wreck all of my father’s, and by extension Riko’s, shit?” Neil asks, a shiteating grin on his face. 

Kevin’s own smile widens to match Neil’s. “You know, Persephone, I don’t think there’s anything in the world I would like more.” 

Andrew moves them all into a conference room where Neil has meticulously assembled a chart of all their potential enemies, potential allies and all of their weaknesses and strengths, affectionately dubbed the War Room. To Kevin, it’s the equivalent of showing your average pervert a room full of porn. The look on Kevin’s face upon confronting it actually proves Andrew’s point to a degree that Andrew never ever wanted to see. 

“All of your ideas so far are terrible and you’re lucky I’m here,” Kevin says, after absorbing all of the information on the board in approximately one second. Andrew expects Neil to take umbrage, but his smile stretches wider, improbably, and they get to work. 

Andrew doesn’t much care about any of this, trusting that Kevin will tell him where he’s needed if he is, and Neil will let him know if Kevin is just fucking with him. He leaves the room after about fifteen minutes of them going at it, content to let them annoy each other, while he tracks down his cat. 

He spends about thirty minutes playing with her before Neil finds him. 

“There you are,” Neil says. 

“Did you come looking for me?” Andrew asks. 

“No, actually, I wanted to get my computer,” he says, but he stands still. 

“You know this is the cat’s room right?” Andrew asks after a moment of oddly awkward silence. 

“Yes, I’m aware.” 

“And you know that the cat does not use computers?” Andrew prods. Neil rolls his eyes. 

“Okay, yes, I fucked up the doors again,” Neil says. He steps forwards and kneels on the ground. Cerberus pads to him and places all three heads on his lap, and Neil’s entire face creases up in a smile as he scritches behind as many ears as he can. 

“Did Kevin leave?” Andrew asks. Neil shakes his head. 

“He was pissing me off so I went to take a lap. I don’t think he noticed I left,” Neil says, but his voice is tinged with laughter. “We noticed when you did though,” he says carefully. 

“If you’re worried that I feel excluded,” Andrew leads, but Neil shakes his head. 

“No, I know you left because you got bored, and that’s not a problem at all,” Neil says. Andrew feels like there’s more to follow though, so he stays quiet and waits. “I just don’t want you to forget that I value your input,” he says, carefully diplomatic. 

“Is that supposed to mean something to me?” Andrew asks, and it isn’t even to be a bitch, he has no idea what Neil is saying. 

“I mean,” Neil breaks off in frustration. “I mean, I want to hear what you have to say. About everything. I want you to tell me your thoughts on things. I don’t respect anyone’s opinion except for yours, Dan’s and maybe, on a very very good day, Kevin’s. And I know you don’t really care that much about the war stuff, but if you have anything to say, I want you to know that I want to hear it. No matter what it is,” Neil says, haltingly. He isn’t even close to eloquent, but somehow that makes his speech more endearing. 

“Make no mistake, if I think you are pulling some wack shit, I will let you know posthaste,” Andrew says, and apparently that’s all that Neil wanted to hear, because he looks up and beams before moving to leave the room. 

Kevin walks in right before Neil leaves. “Oh there you are,” Kevin says. “I thought you were going to get your laptop, but this is better. Andrew, get over here, I want to discuss things with you, and you have more brain cells than Neil, which is a low bar, but I’ll take it. Also, bring the cat,” he says imperiously before turning on his heel and then leaving. 

They look at the door for a few moments. 

“How could anyone tire of his company?” Andrew muses out loud. 

“No earthly idea. Why does he want the cat?” Neil asks. 

“I don’t actually know, he has the weirdest soft spot for the Duke, but he hates Sir and King. He says they bite him,” Andrew responds. 

“Did you mean Duke Furrington, the fourth of her name?” Neil clarifies. Andrew nods solemnly. “Just checking. Shall we?” Neil asks, offering Andrew a hand up. 

Andrew contemplates it for about two seconds before grabbing Neil’s hand and levering himself up. Neither of them let go until Andrew gets to the door. 

*

Zeus comes calling a few weeks into the self-imposed isolation. He has Riko and Matt in tow, which is interesting but not ultimately surprising. Zeus brought the jilted fiance and the god of communication. It looks like a peace convoy, but it definitely isn’t intended as such. 

“Andrew, are you sure you can go head to head with them?” Neil asks, voice worried. 

“They couldn’t kill me on their turf, what makes you think they could on mine?” Andrew says, before willing himself into his best suit. Andrew doesn’t enter any battle without his armor. And he doesn’t enter any battle he can’t win. “Don’t worry, and stick to the plan,” Andrew says. 

“What was the plan again?” Neil asks. 

“Don’t run and don’t die,” Andrew says, before disappearing. 

Andrew wills himself onto his own throne, and doesn’t bother hiding his smirk when all three of his visitors jump. They’ve been waiting for about fifteen minutes in the most intimidating room in Andrew’s realm. The throne is placed higher than anything else in the hall, and the hall itself is bare except for torches on either side of the throne’s pedestal. It’s a massive hall, with obsidian floors and cavernous ceilings, embedded with precious stones. It screams wealth and power. 

When Andrew said he didn’t want to live inside Dracula’s castle, that didn’t mean he didn’t have any rooms in the underworld that had that general vibe. He knows what a reputation can do.

“Lord Zeus, Lord Ares, Lord Hermes,” Andrew says, addressing them in turn. “My apologies for my tardiness, there was an urgent matter in Elysium I couldn’t abandon. I hope the wait wasn’t too excruciating.” His voice is airy, regal.

“Of course not,” Zeus says, but he clearly sounds frustrated. 

“It’s been so long since you’ve visited, Lord Zeus, may I ask what you’ve ventured down here for?” Andrew asks. Zeus narrows his eyes, and Riko audibly growls. Matt looks away for a second, as if to stop himself from laughing inappropriately. 

“My son is here,” Zeus says, “and Riko’s betrothed.” 

“Both of them? We only have one guest,” Andrew responds. 

“I think he’s trying to say that Persephone is not only his son, but also Riko’s betrothed,” Matt chimes in helpfully. 

“Oh, I see, thank you Lord Hermes. Of course, I was sure that when I asked Riko if he was okay with my courting of Neil, he consented.” 

“I changed my mind,” Riko says through grit teeth. 

“Well, that’s just uncouth,” Andrew says lightly. “How am I supposed to take you at your word if you so easily change your mind?” 

“We would like to see him. Confirm his health and well-being. You know how it is,” Zeus says in his most cloying voice. 

“Ah yes, you can never be too careful,” Andrew says, before summoning Neil to the room. He’s a little bit afraid that Neil won’t be ready for the onslaught, but as soon as he catches sight of Neil, he knows he was a fool to doubt him. 

Neil looks like he was rode hard and put away wet. His hair is beyond messy, and his lips are red and raw. His shirt, which is obviously one of Andrew’s more expensive button-downs, is halfway unbuttoned, and the buttons over his torso are screwed up, as if he got changed in a hurry. He has a high flush in his cheeks, and he’s breathing hard. 

It looks like Neil was the urgent matter in Elysium that Andrew had to attend to, and if Andrew wasn’t so goddamn turned on right now, he’d be proud of Neil’s machiavellian machinations. 

“Lord Hades, I thought you were receiving guests,” Neil says, breathless, before turning and feigning shock at seeing the guests. “Oh. My apologies, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” he says, voice meek. He turns as if to go. 

“No apologies necessary. Come here so they can see you properly,” Andrew says, and Neil, not only acquiescing immediately, turns his back on Zeus and Riko to do so, a display of such blatant disrespect that Andrew almost can’t hold back his grin. 

As he approaches the throne, Andrew again worries about where Neil should sit. There’s only one throne, and Andrew doesn’t want to make a new one right now. Right as he’s thinking that maybe Neil could sit on the ground in front of his feet, or perhaps stay standing but on Andrew’s left side, Neil whispers, “Sorry,” and slides onto Andrew’s lap, legs slung over Andrew’s, face pressed into the side of Andrew’s neck. 

And that’s just. 

Well, it’s. 

It’s a lot of. 

Neil didn’t exactly stop being attractive at any point, and with this get up, and the way he seems to melt into Andrew’s body, Andrew is about four seconds away from passing out, or bleeding from the brain or something. 

Andrew, unthinkingly, slides one of his hands up Neil’s back to keep him in one place, and places the other on Neil’s thigh, posessively. He doesn’t think he imagines Neil’s shiver at the contact, but he really just does not have the brainpower to begin to think about what that could mean. 

“Feast your eyes,” Andrew says, and he takes a disturbing amount of pleasure from the rage that radiates off of both Zeus and Riko. From the way Neil’s lips curve up where they’re pressed against Andrew’s neck, Andrew can tell that Neil is enjoying this spectacle as well.

“Are you being treated well here?” Zeus asks, not even pretending to care about the answer. 

“I’m treated wonderfully here,” Neil says, and Andrew almost rolls his eyes and ruins everything. 

“See? Neil likes it here and clearly he’s safe. I understand that you, as a worried father, might feel fear about Neil’s safety, but rest assured, I’m taking very good care of him,” Andrew says, and this time Neil is the one to snicker into Andrew’s neck and almost give everything away. Andrew pinches his thigh, and Neil flicks the back of his head where his arm is wrapped for purchase. 

“I see,” Zeus finally says, and his voice promises murder. 

“As it is, I’m unfortunately very busy today, so if you would make your way to the exit, you’ll find yourself right where you were before you descended,” Andrew says, and a door appears right behind Zeus, black and shining. 

“Tell Matt to stay behind,” Neil murmurs into Andrew’s ear, and Andrew absolutely doesn’t squirm. 

“Lord Hermes, it almost slipped my mind, but if you could stay back for a few moments, I have a message to deliver that simply cannot wait,” Andrew says cordially. He doesn’t address the other two, simply waiting until they give up and exit. Riko shoots him a look that promises murder, but other than that, leaves quietly. 

And then it’s just the three of them. And Neil is still on Andrew’s lap. 

Andrew clears his throat. Neil startles, guilty, and slides off of Andrew’s lap. 

“Sorry, I should have asked, but I didn’t know where to sit, and I was committed to the whole-” he waves his hands around, but Andrew gets it. 

“Don't worry, I know why you did it, and it made sense,” Andrew says. He doesn’t say that’s why he put his hands on Neil too, because that’s only half of the reason, and even though he feels a little weird taking advantage of Neil literally placing himself on his lap in his clothes, he feels justified by the fact that Neil literally placed himself on his lap in his clothes. 

“Right,” Neil says, but he doesn't move, still staring at Andrew. 

“You wanted to say something to Matt? The god that I made stay in my realm at your express request?” Andrew prompts again. 

“Right, yes, I did,” Neil says, turning to Matt. He runs his hands through his hair a few times to calm it down, and buttons the shirt so he looks vaguely presentable. “Hey Matt,” he says, and Matt doesn’t hesitate before moving forwards and sweeping Neil into a bone-breaking hug. Neil hugs back just as hard, so Andrew feels no need to intervene. 

“Fuck dude, how are you? We’ve been so worried,” Matt says, mother-henning the living daylights out of Neil. 

“I’m great. Andrew’s been here the whole time, so I’ve been as safe as I could possibly be,” Neil says, completely oblivious to the fact that Matt was worried specifically about Andrew. 

“That’s good,” Matt offers, but his eyes flick to Andrew a few times in clear skepticism. Neil doesn’t catch on to it. “What did you want to ask?” 

“I want you, Dan, and Allison to come down here soon, so we can actually talk. I know Allison is on our side, but we need Dan, and we’d like to have you as well,” Neil says, all business. 

“And this is okay with you?” Matt asks Andrew.

Andrew shrugs. “I’ve stopped pretending like I call the shots down here,” he says, and for whatever reason, that seems to be the tipping point in Matt’s eyes. His shoulders loosen with tension Andrew didn’t even know was there, and the hand he kept on Neil’s arm drops. “Actually, let’s make this official so I don’t have to deal with it anymore. Neil, I hereby confer to you invitational power within my realm; from now on, you will be able to receive, validate or reject petitions for entry, as well as enter this realm freely,” Andrew says. 

“Wait, seriously?” Matt asks. “You’re just letting Neil have his run of the place?”

“He already has his run of the place,” Andrew says, longsufferingly. 

“You love it, you like having flowers around,” Neil retorts. 

“I have pollen allergies,” Andrew snips back. 

“The plants don’t have any pollen! I specifically engineered them so they wouldn’t because of your pollen allergies,” Neil yelps. 

“By pollen allergies, I mean I’m allergic to the absence of pollen. I should have made that more clear,” Andrew says. Matt actually laughs out loud at that one. 

“I’m gonna kill you one of these days,” Neil mutters, and Matt laughs louder at that. 

“You can try,” Andrew says. “In fact, you have tried.” 

“Not Tokyo again, I tripped, I didn’t mean to push you, we talked about this-” 

“Neil pushed me off a skyscraper,” Andrew says. 

“You tattle-telling bastard,” Neil curses, but there’s an obvious smile on his face. 

“Okay,” Matt says, interrupting their banter. “Okay yeah, I’ll get Dan down here. She’ll give you some shit, but she just wants you to be safe, and I’m thinking this is the safest place for you to be right now.” 

“That’s what I’ve been saying this whole time,” Neil says, nonplussed. 

“And only now do I believe you,” Matt finishes. “Andrew, thank you for your hospitality, but I do need to go.” The door appears behind him. 

“Leave whenever. I’m gonna go think about how Neil learned I had a fear of heights right before he did that,” Andrew says. 

“I didn’t mean to!” Neil wails. 

“Bye Andrew. Bye Neil,” Matt says, reeling Neil into another rib-crushing hug. “Stay safe. I’ll be back soon.” He walks through the door and is gone instantaneously. Neil keeps looking at where the door was, as Andrew alights from his throne and makes his way next to Neil. 

“I’ve missed them, actually,” Neil says, biting his lip. “I didn’t think I would miss anything about the Pantheon, but I miss them.” 

“Good thing you don’t have to be in the Pantheon to see them,” Andrew says from Neil’s right. Neil turns to him. 

“Thank you,” he says, solemnly. 

“Stop that,” Andrew says, to dismiss the whole line of thinking, but Neil is like a terrier. 

“I mean it. This is your home, where you come to feel safe. It’s a big deal that you’re letting me invite people, and that doesn’t escape me, and I’m grateful. You’ve worked overtime to make sure I felt at home with you, and I just-” he runs out of steam right there. “Thank you, Andrew. You don’t know what it means to me.” 

“Yes I do,” Andrew says, and Neil huffs a laugh at that. 

“So you know how grateful I am?” Neil presses. 

“I have been made aware. Neil, at this point, you need to stop thinking of this as my home. This place responds to you almost as well as it responds to me. It’s your home too,” Andrew says. “Actually, there’s another thing I need to do,” he says. “Give me your hand,” Andrew commands, and Neil hands it over obediently. Andrew runs his fingers over the palm of Neil’s right hand, where the impression of a key flashes once in black lining before receding into Neil’s palm. “Now you can summon the Maserati if you need to travel between the realms.” 

Neil’s palm flexes in Andrew’s grasp. Andrew is suddenly aware of just how close they’re standing, how easily Andrew could stand on his toes and press a kiss against Neil’s lips, still red and raw from the pantomime earlier. Neil seems to be thinking the same thing, leaning down the slightest amount, but it’s just enough that Andrew wouldn’t even have to lift, all he would have to do is tilt his head the slightest amount and then they would be kissing and-

Andrew just gave him a key. Andrew just gave him a key, and free rein to the underworld, and what if Neil thinks this is the trade, what if he thinks Andrew is just going to take what he wants, like all the other people. What if Neil thinks this is a bribe, what if Neil goes along with it because it’s a bribe, that’s not, he can’t- 

Andrew steps back, clears his throat. “Andrew?” Neil asks, and why is his voice hoarse, why why why does his voice have to be hoarse. 

“I should get to work,” Andrew says, and disappears.


	9. Act 2: Chapter 4

Andrew walks into the war room only to be confronted with Poseidon, Aphrodite and Hermes sitting at the table, with a wildly gesticulating Neil pointing at things on the blackboard. He turns and smiles when he sees Andrew walk in, and the rest of the gods turn and stare at Andrew’s form in the doorway. He’s in the process of fixing his cufflinks, and he was wondering where Neil was, and now there are guests. He supposes this is how Neil felt when Renee turned up. 

“Hello,” Andrew says. 

“Hello,” Matt responds. 

“Didn’t know you were here,” Andrew says, before sliding into one of the chairs. 

“Wait, really?” Dan asks, looking at Neil. “Can Neil do that? Just have people here that you don’t know about?” 

“Neil can do what he wants, I’m not his mom,” Andrew responds. Why does everyone keep assuming he’s a jailer of some sort. In what universe does Andrew voluntarily keep people in his personal space? 

“Neil actually can’t do whatever he wants,” Neil grumbles under his breath, and Andrew rolls his eyes discreetly. After Andrew backed off from the almost kiss they shared, Neil has been on a roll. He sits close to Andrew when they eat breakfast, smiles as much as usual, refuses to shy from Andrew’s presence, and is generally up in Andrew’s grill 24/7, which would be annoying if Andrew wasn’t head over heels and hating it. 

The worst thing about it, is that Andrew knows what Neil is doing, and he knows that Neil knows that he knows, and he knows that Neil would stop immediately if Andrew asked. Which means Neil knows that Andrew doesn’t want to ask. Which means that Neil knows exactly how Andrew feels, but still apparently thinks that this whole idea is a great one. 

That’s not true. The worst thing is that it’s working. Andrew is slowly getting convinced that maybe this thing between them could be phenomenal even though it has all the potential to ruin Andrew’s life, and throw any semblance of control he ever thought about having into the garbage. 

“Okay, well, now that you’re here, Andrew, do you wanna let us know what your gameplan is?” Dan asks. 

“Oh, I have no gameplan. This is all Neil and Kevin, and I guess a little bit of Renee. Nicky was technically here at some point, but he was about as helpful as he usually is. My game plan is do what Neil tells me to do,” Andrew says. “Think of me as the Reuben of this endeavor.” 

“So the sugar daddy?” Allison says. 

“What better role for the god of wealth with a whole realm to house people in?” Andrew muses. 

“Reuben?” Matt asks. 

“Ocean’s Eleven,” Dan says offhand, and Matt makes a face of recognition. “What does that make me?” 

“Well, I feel like Neil is the Danny behind this, because he’s the idea man,” Matt says, and Andrew nods. “Which would technically make Kevin Rusty as the detail man. Dan, I think you’re Basher. He’s the explosions expert, he’s the one who makes the power outage happen. He’s the lynchpin of the whole operation,” Matt explains. 

“So, Dan, we can only pull this off if we have you on board. Are you on board?” Andrew asks, getting to the heart of the matter. She takes a few moments, looks at Neil. 

“Neil, if Andrew is deferring to you, I will too. Do you want me on board?” she asks. 

“Dan, you’re the basher. Of course, I want you on board,” Neil says, a smile creeping across his face. 

“Okay, so Basher is the name of a character,” Matt begins, but Andrew catches his eye and shakes his head. _ Not worth it _. 

“Well then. Looks like we have a war to wage,” Dan says, and Andrew likes that martial look in her eyes. “Also, after this is over, we have to show you Ocean’s Eleven, this is tragic, you’re like a baby. Andrew, could I talk to you privately?” 

Andrew nods, a bit nonplussed, but ready to roll with whatever punches she throws. 

They enter the kitchen space Andrew uses for when he really needs some homemade mac and cheese, and Andrew hops up on the counter, lets her choose where to stand. She leans on the fridge across from him and watches. 

“You know, I love Neil, and he loves us, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile before,” she leads. 

“Neil smiles more than anyone else I’ve ever met in my life, and I’m related by blood to Nicky,” Andrew says, confused. 

“Not in my experience. I’m not gonna lie to you Andrew, I didn’t like you for a very long time. You’re divisive up top, and you haven’t exactly been friendly,” Dan says, and Andrew nods agreeably. She’s not wrong. “That being said, I’ve never seen Neil this happy or healthy before, and from what I hear from Matt, Renee and even Allison, that’s because of you. So, and don’t make me regret this, I’m gonna trust you.” 

Dan is one of the older gods of the new guard, the first to ascend after Kayleigh died and Kevin was forced to become Athena far too early. She had inherited the mantle from Wymack, the old Poseidon and a sort of father figure to her, who left with his best friend Abby, the Aphrodite at the time, after Kayleigh’s murder. She’s taken to the position with grace and force, and is a leader through and through, capable of commanding a room in seconds when she chooses to. 

To be honest, Andrew never really liked her all that much, but he never made the mistake of underestimating or disrespecting her substantial power. Neil is right when he says they need her, and Andrew has no interest in jeopardizing that. 

“Here’s the thing, Andrew,” she says, still talking. “If this goes well, we’ll have the opportunity to place a new Zeus on the throne. If we choose someone who we both agree on, it will be the first time in a very long time that the Triune are allied again. If that happens, we will move mountains. I want that for us, and I was afraid I would never see it, but seeing you with Neil in there has given me the first inkling of hope I’ve had in awhile,” she meanders. 

“There’s a point in there somewhere, I just know it,” Andrew says. She rolls her eyes. 

“I’m saying, I don’t want to fight you. Ever. I want this Pantheon to become functional again, instead of a political nightmare. I want to actually make things better, instead of defending against other people making it worse. I’m trusting you here Andrew. I’m asking that in the future, when we rebuild after winning, that you trust me too.” 

Andrew stays silent for a few minutes, giving the proposal the consideration it deserves. “Here’s what I can offer. If you choose a new Zeus, I will trust that you made the correct choice. If you need my support in various initiatives, if I don’t see any problems, I’ll stand behind you. If I do see problems, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and discuss it with you. If you, at any point, make a move against any of my family, and that does include Neil now, then all bets are off. That being said, let’s wait until we actually win this war before making plans for the rubble,” Andrew says. She eyes him carefully and nods. 

“Then I guess we have a deal, Lord Hades,” she says, extending her hand, and he shakes it, noting her firm grip and no nonsense posture. 

When they re-enter the war room, Matt and Neil are gone. Allison sits alone, filing her nails. “Oh good you’re back, I was starting to wonder if someone died. By the way, Matt and Neil are off on one of their bro adventures, and I think they were planning on setting something on fire.” 

“Above ground or below?” Dan asks. 

“Above,” Allison says, and Dan curses. 

“Son of a bitch and they didn’t invite me,” she says, before disappearing. Andrew waits for five seconds. 

“Matt may be gone, but Neil is definitely still here,” Andrew says, spinning the key to the Maserati around one of his fingers. 

“You’re right. I lied so she would leave. I needed to talk to you,” Allison says. “By the way, is that suit tailored?” she asks. 

“Yes,” Andrew responds. “Did you want his number?” Allison narrows her eyes for a few seconds, before admitting that yes she absolutely wanted his number, his work was exquisite. After they exchange information, she stands up, positively towering over Andrew in her ludicrous heels. 

“Listen, I don’t usually do this, and I honestly wouldn’t for you, because I just don’t like you that much. However, you were kind and you comforted me when death took someone from me too early, so. Here goes. 

“Andrew Joseph Minyard, you have been starved of love for too long. An injustice was done to you, and as the Goddess of Love, it is my responsibility to right this wrong. I won’t say you’ll never have to fight for love again, because it isn’t love if you aren’t willing to fight for it. However, and this is a promise, you will never again have to fight alone.” Her skin radiates a rose-gold light as she speaks, and Andrew is suddenly taken aback at her beauty. She looks powerful, otherworldly in a way that scares rather than comforts. Andrew feels his own power rising in response, but he keeps it under control, simply accepting the gift she is bestowing. 

The radiant light dies and she’s just Allison again, a hot girl that Andrew doesn’t give a shit about, but the afterimages of her silhouette burn themselves on the backs of his eyelids. She doesn’t reach out, doesn’t even ask for gratitude, simply turning on her heel and striding away from him. She leaves mid-stride, and Andrew is left alone in the room, possessed with the strongest urge to find Neil, to lay hands on him. 

Of course, in practice, Andrew isn’t ruled by anything but his own head, so he gets to work and handles his business like he always does. 

That night, Neil walks into Andrew’s bedroom again, like he does every night. Andrew could probably set a timer by it. This time though, instead of nodding and walking right back out, Neil lingers by the door. 

“Did Allison tell you something today?” he asks. Andrew narrows his eyes. 

“She did, but it wasn’t about you, if that’s what you’re asking,” Andrew responds. Neil sighs in what appears to be relief, before nodding resolutely and turning. “What would she have said? If she had told me something about you?” 

Neil turns back and eyes Andrew. “She would have told you why I walk into this room every night, even though I can get basically anywhere else in the realm at this point.” 

“And why do you?” Andrew asks, and something dawns in Neil’s eyes, a realization that yes, finally, Andrew is going to have this conversation. Andrew doesn’t know why he’s encouraging this, but after his conversations with Dan and Allison, he’s feeling powerful in a strange way. Or rather, he’s feeling lucky. 

“I think you know why,” Neil says, as Andrew makes his way over towards him. “But I’ll tell you anyways, if you really want to know.” 

“I want to know,” Andrew says, barely a foot away from Neil at this point. Neil doesn’t move away, leans almost imperceptibly closer. 

“Andrew, don’t do this if you don’t actually want to know the answer,” and there’s something raw in his voice this time around, as if Andrew’s reluctance has already hurt him, and that’s not what Andrew wanted, that’s the opposite of what Andrew wants. 

“I want to know,” Andrew repeats, stepping just a little bit closer. Neil looks over Andrew’s face for any sign of reluctance, before his eyes catch on his lips and stay there. He leans forwards, looks up at Andrew, and leans forwards just a little more, until his lips are a breath away from Andrew’s. 

Andrew closes the distance. 

It’s a soft kiss, just the press of lips, but it sends electricity through Andrew’s body, makes him feel unstoppable, makes him feel warm. His hands go up to frame Neil’s face, but as soon as they make contact, Neil pulls back an inch, just far enough that Andrew can still feel his breath on his lips, coming out in quick hot puffs. 

“That’s why,” Neil breathes, and Andrew doesn’t think before reeling him back in, and this kiss gets far more heated, far faster. Neil doesn’t really seem to have any idea what he’s doing, but he’s a quick learner and he’s very responsive, and with every muted noise Neil makes, every wordless gasp or groan, Andrew gets more and more keyed up. 

When they finally break apart, Neil is pressed flush against the wall, both of his hands in Andrew’s hair after Andrew put them there, and Andrew is basically pressed between his thighs, their bodies flush against each other. They’re both breathing heavily, and Neil has what appears to be an astonishingly large hickey developing on his neck. 

“Too fast?” Neil gasps against Andrew’s cheek. 

“No,” Andrew says, pressing one more kiss to Neil’s lips, and then another, and then another again. “That being said, if we were to move any faster, it would be,” Andrew clarifies and Neil nods. 

“Yeah, I um. I really really liked that if you couldn’t tell, but this is technically the first time I’ve kissed anyone so, yeah. I get it,” Neil says, a little more composed. Andrew leans in again, and marvels at the easy way Neil kisses him, over and over.

“Did you want to stay?” Andrew says, when he pulls back, and it genuinely isn’t something he was intending to ask, but now that he’s said it, he wants it, wants Neil in his bed where Andrew can make sure he’s safe and not pissing anyone off. It’s been so long since he’s touched anyone like this, and with Neil it feels like so much more than it ever has with anyone else. Neil’s eyes go wide. “Just to sleep, not anything more than this,” Andrew clarifies, but Neil is already nodding. 

“Yeah, yes, I want to stay,” Neil says, the words tumbling out of his mouth like he’s afraid if he doesn’t say yes fast enough the offer will leave the table. Andrew nods. 

“Do you move in your sleep?” Andrew finally thinks to ask. 

“No, I sleep like a corpse,” Neil says. 

“Hot.” Neil laughs at that, and it cuts at some of the tension in the room. “Okay, get into your pajamas, we don’t sleep in jorts,” Andrew says, realizing with a sinking stomach that he just had a very hot makeout session with a man in jorts. 

“My jorts are my pajamas,” Neil says, but he wills himself into some soft sleep pants and a t-shirt. They move to the bed. 

“I sleep with my back to the wall,” Andrew says. 

“That’s good because I sleep closest to the door,” Neil responds, and doesn’t that work out nicely? 

They get under the covers, and it’s still just the slightest bit off, just the slightest bit awkward. They face each other under the blankets, two parentheses in a set. 

“Are these silk sheets?” Neil finally asks, and Andrew rolls his eyes. 

“It’s the softest fabric around and it’s strong enough to deflect a blade, can people stop fucking with me about the silk,” Andrew grouses. 

“I like it. It feels nice,” Neil says, completely disarming Andrew. “I’m not used to soft stuff like this, but I like it.” It’s baffling that Andrew could be the introduction of softness into Neil’s life, that he would be the source of smiles for Neil. How could Andrew, who has never been soft, and who has never been happy, inspire both of those things in Neil? 

Andrew moves the slightest bit forwards, and Neil matches him, until their knees are touching in the middle of the bed. Andrew reaches his hand out, plays with the hair behind Neil’s ear, and watches Neil’s eyes flutter shut. He’s exhausted and warm in bed, and Neil’s hair is soft and curling under his fingers, and Neil himself is a soothing presence, the rhythm of his breathing already as familiar as Andrew’s own. 

“Stay here from now on,” Andrew murmurs, and Neil nods without opening his eyes. He nestles closer, until his head is right above where Andrew’s other arm is, underneath the pillow. He lets out a soft sound of contentment before falling asleep, and Andrew follows him soon after, lulled by his gentled heartbeat. 

*

After that night, it’s like a dam breaks; Neil and Andrew spend all of their free time making out like teenagers. Andrew loses track of all the times they end up in the bedroom while doing normal things, just preparing food or managing spreadsheets, two activities widely regarded as the least sexy things around. 

They’ve moved into slightly less PG-13 territory, but Andrew is just fine taking things slow, especially considering how thrilled and responsive Neil is about every new thing they do. The night Andrew took off his shirt for the first time was an experience. 

Despite their libidos, they don’t have that much time to hook up. Even though they live together, most of their free time is eaten up in preparation for the upcoming war, or in hosting other gods who come with information or new strategies. Neil holes up in the War Room more often than not, only exiting when Andrew drags him and whomever is in there with him to get food or fresh air. 

Andrew is busy for his own reasons. Even though he’s largely absent from the planning - he won’t be able to fight aboveground with everyone else, thanks to the limitations of Hades - he still has ways of influencing the war that need study and consideration. He’s also busy as the leader of a realm. With conflict approaching, there is no question that the death tolls will rise exponentially, and Andrew needs to beef up his infrastructure significantly if he doesn’t want the realm to collapse. Neil helps in the evenings, using his spreadsheet magic to alleviate some of Andrew’s burden. 

As the days leading up to the initial assault approach, Neil becomes more and more exhausted, and Andrew matches him. They spend most of their time holed up researching arcane rituals and old lore to boost power, or tracking the movements and weaknesses of other gods to plan around them. The only times they end up in bed are to nap for short stretches between more preparations. 

Andrew presses little kisses to Neil’s hair when he passes by, and Neil reaches for Andrew’s hand for reassurance every so often. When Andrew imagined what a relationship with Neil would be like, he expected a lot more fire, but this is so much better than anything he imagined. They’ve gotten to a level of intimacy Andrew has never shared with anyone in his life before. Neil is like the hearth, warm and safe and home. Andrew thinks he could curl up by him and spend the rest of his life there, absolutely content to bask in the blaze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so the run down is 
> 
> Neil: Danny  
Kevin: Rusty   
Andrew: Reuben   
Dan: Basher   
Aaron & Renee: the Malloy twins (Aaron is the one played by Scott Caan)   
Allison: Saul   
Matt: Livingston  
Nicky: Yen   
Thea: Frank   
Jean: Linus 
> 
> Yes you can come at me about these alignments in the comments, but know that I’ve thought this through so hard, so just, keep that in mind!!!!


	10. Act 2: Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> End of Act 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one more chapter after this one!! it's a postlude, but it's pretty hefty!!! the art in this chapter should be embedded, but flickr is being kinda annoying for whatever reason so you can get it [ here!](https://www.flickr.com/photos/164131576@N06/48785265358/)

The night before the assault is planned, everyone congregates in the underworld. There’s a solemnity to the air, as everyone confronts the last night of peace that they will know for a little bit.

They’re sitting in the war room, Kevin and Neil at the head of the table near the backboard.

“Okay, one last run-through of the plan,” Matt says, breaking the tension.

“Do we have a final list of the planned replacements?” Neil asks.

“Riko will be replaced by Jeremy Knox. He was trained by Rhemann, the old Hermes. He’s fully apprised of the situation, and is willing to step in immediately. Matt vouches for him, and from what I’ve seen of him, he’d be the perfect replacement,” Kevin says.

“I think we all agree that Nathan should be replaced by Wymack,” Dan interjects, “and Abby should be the next Hera with him. They lived in the Pantheon for a long time, and they were some of the only people Kayleigh trusted to rule when she was Athena.”

“Right. It makes sense that the new Zeus would be the current Athena’s father,” Neil muses.

The room is silent. Then it is not.

“Oh shit,” Allison breathes.

“Kevin’s what now?” Nicky yelps.

“What the fuck?” Dan says, voice tight and militant.

“Did they not know?” Neil asks, the slightest bit panicked. Kevin’s eyes are squeezed shut, knuckles white where they’re clenched against the back of his chair. “Oh shit, Kevin,” Neil starts, but doesn’t seem to know where to take the sentence.

“You’re Wymack’s son?” Dan asks, and now there’s genuine betrayal in her voice. “You never told him?”

“I didn’t know for the longest time. My mother told me he was a mortal, one who died. By the time I learned, she had been dead for years, and he had left the Pantheon. I never knew him; all I knew was that she must have had her reasons for keeping me from him-”

“That wasn’t your decision to make,” Dan asserts angrily, standing up to face Kevin.

“You’re right. It wasn’t. And as soon as we don’t die, I’ll tell him. But until then, could we just get through this plan?” Kevin asks. His shoulders are tight and his voice is heavy with self-loathing, so much so that Dan actually steps back and nods.

“What about the Hephaestus?” Matt asks.

“Right, we said we needed to take the Forge, who do we have to replace Jean?” Allison asks. Renee bites her lip.

“You don’t have a replacement for him, do you?” Andrew asks.

“What do you mean we don’t have a replacement for Jean, there’s literally only four gods we need to replace?” Aaron asks the table at large.

“I don’t think we need to replace him,” Renee says, voice quiet. The room is silent again.

Before anyone can speak, Dan cuts in with a firm, “Explain.”

“I’ve been in contact with him these past months. I think there’s a significant chance that he would turn on Riko, and if he does, we’ll have an assured victory in the Forge. He would be able to strike without detection, and he could confer the mantle to Jeremy immediately. Only I would have to go, which means literally every other god could be fighting the two most powerful gods at the Pantheon. We’d win,” she says, and when she says that, Andrew knows it to be true, knows it to his bones.

“We can’t take that risk,” Dan starts, but Andrew raises his hand, and miracle after miracle, she quiets.

“Take Kevin,” Andrew says, “and Neil. Kevin will make Thea Nike as fast as possible, and take her to the Pantheon. You and Neil will fight Riko and Jean, until you do whatever you need to do to get Jean on our team, at which point Jean or you will kill Riko and raise Jeremy. If Jean turns on you, Neil will be there to kill him so you can focus on making sure that we get Ares. Neil, do you have an able replacement for Hephaestus on that board?”

“Yes. Another of Rhemann’s students, a woman named Sara Alvarez,” Neil responds handily.

“I could kill him if I needed to,” Renee says, a mild reminder of her lethality.

“You could, but you shouldn’t have to. Does anyone have any problems with this plan?” Andrew asks the table at large. Allison is scowling for whatever reason, and Dan looks contemplative, but nobody else seems to want to voice a critique.

“How do we know Neil will be able to kill Jean?” Nicky ends up asking. “Not to be a dick, but I thought he was the god of flowering, not death.”

“I’m still a god, Nicky,” Neil says.

“And he won’t only be acting as Persephone,” Andrew says.

“What does that mean?” Aaron asks, his voice forbidding.

“That from now until this war ends, Persephone, god of flowering, springtime, and new life, will also be known as Prince of the Underworld, and Keeper of the Dead,” and as Andrew speaks, a white light begins to radiate from Neil’s skin, so bright that everyone in the room has to cover their eyes, before it cuts out. “Congratulations, Neil. You now carry all of the power of the underworld with you,” Andrew says, smugly.

Once more, the room is silent. This has really been a conversation of revelations, hasn’t it?

“Andrew, I don’t think you’ve thought this through. The underworld is your domain,” Kevin says, aghast. “It’s the source of your power. If Neil dies, you stop being Hades. In fact, you’re barely Hades right now.”

“Oh really, Kevin? Is that what that means? Gee, I wish I hadn’t made it binding,” Andrew says, voice bland. Internally, Andrew is a little more shaky. He can still feel the power of the underworld, but it’s distant in a way he’s never reckoned with before. He feels vulnerable in a way he hasn’t been for a very very long time.

“This is what you’ve been doing while I’ve been planning,” Neil says, voice flat and furious. “It wasn’t just infrastructure work, you’ve been figuring out a death sentence for yourself.”

“Figuring out a way to stop you from playing martyr, you mean,” Andrew says. “Don’t pretend like you weren’t planning to run into the heat of battle and throw yourself on the first sword you could find. Now, not only are you the strongest player on the board, you can’t die. Fall off the roof and you pull me with you.” Neil grits his teeth, but refuses to respond, a damning admission of guilt.

“Neil, is he serious?” Matt asks. “Were you banking on a suicide play?” Neil’s eyes close.

“They have the god of war and the leader of the entire Pantheon, and we’re not starting with victory. For every god that exists, Zeus’s power is multiplied. We have a fighting chance, but nothing ever works out like how we plan. Someone is going to die. Better the new god than anyone else,” Neil confesses.

“Neil, no,” Nicky says. “You aren’t more expendable because you’re the newest person here. This plan is solid, and now that Andrew just gave you like, the godly equivalent of steroids, we’re gonna win. And as soon as we win, I’m going to get you so drunk that you’ll regret surviving,” he jokes weakly. The rest of the table also throws their assurances at Neil, but Andrew sees Neil’s eyes, and knows that they’ll need to speak about this later.

“What’s the breakdown of the plan on the Pantheon?” Andrew asks, over the din, and Kevin leaps at the chance to tell people what to do.

“Hermes, we’ll need you to jam any communications between the Pantheon and the Forge, and we’ll keep Aphrodite and Nicky with you. The humans are going to need to keep love and booze stocked if we’re gonna try and prevent as many human casualties as possible. Until we get Thea and I to the Pantheon, we need to keep things calm so as not to tip off Zeus or Hera, because as soon as they know, they’ll end us. Dan, Thea, Allison, and I will be the advance, with Matt, Nicky and Aaron keeping the pressure on.

“When Ares is replaced, we’ll send him with Neil. Jean, Renee, and Aaron will hold the Forge. If any of us gets injured, we’ll return to the Forge for healing with Aaron. Renee will alternate in, and with Neil added to our ranks, that should be enough to wear them down. We’re a strong majority, and thanks to Andrew, we should win this. It won’t be easy, and it definitely won’t be soon, but we’ll win. Keep your guard up,” Kevin finishes, and the gods disband.

Aaron approaches Aaron after most everyone has left.

“I said this before, and I’ll say it again. I hope you know what you’re doing,” he says. Andrew reaches out his hand, and Aaron grips his forearm. They stand there, eyeing each other for a few moments before they break apart.

“You’d do it for Katelyn,” Andrew finally says.

“Oh so it’s like that now?” Aaron asks, a smile cracking the severity of his expression.

“Get out of my house,” Andrew says dryly, not without a smile of his own. Nicky is right behind him, and as soon as Aaron disappears, he reels Andrew into a tight hug. He smells like sour grapes and sunshine. Andrew hugs him back tightly, before shoving him away and out of his realm.

Neil and Kevin are the last in the room with Andrew, Kevin sitting heavily with his head in his hands.

“He’s staying here tonight,” Neil and Andrew say simultaneously. Neil smiles ruefully, before pulling Kevin to his feet and, Andrew assumes, leading him to a guest bedroom. Andrew waits a beat before walking to his own bedroom. He doesn’t know if Neil will join him tonight, if he’s too upset at Andrew to spend this last night together.

Neil turns up in about five minutes, an expression Andrew has never seen before on his face. Andrew shouldn’t have worried. Neil will never turn down an opportunity to ‘hash it out’.

“Why?” Neil asks eventually.

“It’ll be harder for you to die this way,” Andrew says. It’s not even a joke.

“It’ll be easier for you to die this way,” Neil retorts.

“There was no other way to protect you,” Andrew says. “If I was up there watching your back, I would just be a liability. I found a safe way to give you more power, did you expect me not to go for it?”

“No, I just thought you valued your life more than this. You made me your Achilles’ heel, did you expect me to be okay with this?” Neil hisses.

“Don’t you get it by now?” Andrew says, moving forward until he’s firmly planted in Neil’s personal space. “You’ve been my Achilles’ heel since you asked me for a cigarette the first night we met. If you died, I’d be taken out of commission either way. At least this way you have slightly more protection than you would have before. If it makes you less willing to throw yourself into danger, then I’m not complaining,” Andrew finishes.

He’s gotten very close to Neil over the course of his rant, and now Neil is close enough to raise one trembling hand to touch Andrew’s cheek, his temple, his lips. “Andrew,” he breathes, and Andrew sways closer, “Andrew, can I-” and Andrew pushes forwards, and this, this at least is familiar, this Andrew can say without words.

Neil tastes more desperate tonight, clutches at Andrew like a drowning man at a raft, tucks himself against Andrew’s skin like he’s trying to absorb him, like he’s trying to forget where they end and begin. Andrew registers that he’s also moving with a strange fury, pressing his hands into Neil’s skin like he’s trying to claim him, inch by inch, piece by piece. He takes both of them in hand, and Neil shudders apart almost immediately, muffling his cries into Andrew’s neck, kisses at it, moans a slurred ‘love you’ into Andrew’s ear and then Andrew is tumbling over the edge, pulling Neil into one more kiss before collapsing. They clean themselves off half-heartedly before falling asleep immediately.

Despite their exhaustion, they sleep uneasily.

The morning comes too soon. Andrew wakes to Neil sitting on the edge of the bed, already dressed. Andrew moves towards him, but Neil doesn’t turn around, stays facing the door.

“Any moment, Kevin is going to knock on that door and tell me to go to war. He’s going to ask me to help him kill my abusive father, the one thing I’ve spent my entire life wanting to do,” Neil says, “and I’ve never been more scared in my life.” Andrew presses his chest flush against Neil’s back, his arms winding around Neil’s torso. Neil’s hands come up to hold Andrew’s in place. Andrew rests his forehead on the nape of Neil’s back, and they inhale. Exhale.

Kevin knocks on the door, two short raps. Neil breathes in deeply, but he doesn’t move.

“Stick to the plan,” Andrew says.

“What’s the plan?” Neil asks.

“Don’t run and don’t die.”

Kevin knocks again, and Neil goes to war.

Andrew spends the day in bed.

*

The war lasts for about three months. Shorter than they expected, but still unimaginably long.

Andrew spends all of it making minor repairs to the infrastructure in place, luckily good enough to withstand the strain of the war. It’s a struggle to maintain control of his surroundings with such a sharp decrease in power, but Andrew manages. He smokes packs of cigarettes for the taste, waters Neil’s pollenless plants, plays with his cat, and, late at night, feeling the borders of the Underworld shake and grow restless as the Dead pour in, sits awake willing himself not to die and float through the Underworld as a shade.

Riko is the first of the opposing side to fall. Andrew condemns him to Tartarus, but not before a thorough interrogation of his death. Renee was right, somewhat surprisingly. The circumstances of an Ares conquest are different than that of most other Gods. Once a god has declared earnest conquest against the Ares, both suspend Godhood and must fight as mortals do. Seth had won his conquest from Kengo completely unwittingly, challenging Kengo to a fight in a bad decision bar somewhere in Nashville, and Kengo, drunk off of Jaeger and his own power, agreed. Seth won.

Riko had always prided himself on being the best fighter in the world, completely confident in his ability to beat anyone in the world in combat, and for the most part he was right. Neil, knowing he would never be able to defeat Riko in single combat, switched places with Kevin to grab Nike and head to the frontlines. Riko had immediately agreed to the combat with Kevin, sure that he would win. After all, he had won so often in his youth, when they were just boys playing in the Forge. But back then, Kevin had been a cowed youth, desperate for approval. Now, Kevin was the foremost expert on all combat and tactical knowledge in the world, with such an obscene dedication to the craft that his work ethic was genuinely frightening.

Riko faced Kevin and faltered. And when Riko faltered, he called out to Jean to interrupt the combat, which would allow both Riko and Kevin to regain their powers. Jean didn’t move a muscle.

Riko faced Kevin again, and fell.

The next to fall is Nathan, who falls with what appears to be four separate swords in his chest. When he falls, Andrew knows that it’s only a matter of time; all everyone has to do is not die before Lola falls. Nathan is swallowed up by Tartarus before Andrew can even look at his case, and from the way he screamed when he fell, he suspects Neil had a hand in his sentencing aboveground.

When Lola finally falls - Andrew takes a lot of pleasure with that one - Andrew feels the rush of his entire realm’s power return to his control, and knows that Neil is alive, knows that the war is won.

He waits. Neil doesn’t return. Andrew’s Maserati doesn’t return either.

Andrew guesses that Neil was right. It was impossible for everything to go to plan. Neil didn’t die, but he certainly ran.


	11. Postlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting this story in installments has been such a wonderful experience, and all of that is thanks to the incredibly kind and thought-provoking comments i've been receiving! if you're reading this note and haven't given the comments section a cursory run through, theres a lot of extra content and explanation in there that might enrich your experience with the text! the most fun part of reading literature is the analysis we do, and if you had any questions or comments about how some of this story ended up working out a certain way, i have responded to, and will continue to respond to every comment!!!!! 
> 
> Some people that i will make a shout-out to for being such a phenomenal and engaged audience are: fuzzballsheltiepants, dara_nina, lunylovegoodlover, agentmidnight, sa77ra, PopcornisDelicious, Cheshyre513, godlesscynic, Marichatshipper, treel, TheBashfulPoet, Rhaenysdraugwen, Tuvieja, Majestic_Pidgeon, ktrie, OftheTwilighttheDarkness, Titisnemesis, songofthesiren13, Itchisan, DeyaAmaya 
> 
> i'm so sorry if i accidentally missed you in the list, but these are all people who regularly commented on the chapters as they came out, or who left comments that inspired other people, not just me, or who asked a lot of questions and prompted me to understand and investigate my own experience of writing this story much more, like they're integral to how my expereince of sharing this art went, so to all of you, thank you so much, your words made sharing this so worthwhile and gave me so much validation :) i love you dearly! 
> 
> again, i want to thank james for his phenomenal art, he's so talented, everyone should follow him on instagram @sisaloofafump 
> 
> thanks to everyone the big bang discord, you guys have been such a joy, and the community you have on there is so supportive that like, i wrote four other fics because of their support and enthusiasm for fanworks!!!
> 
> without further ado, here is the finale!!!!

> _But he [Hadês]_  
_gave her, stealthily, the honey-sweet berry of the pomegranate to eat,_  
_peering around him.[43] He did not want her to stay for all time_  
_over there, at the side of her honorable mother, the one with the dark robe._

After the war, days pass slowly. Neil doesn’t return, but a part of Andrew always knew he wouldn’t be able to keep him. Unfortunately, the rest of the gods decided unanimously that the Underworld is a fun and funky place to be, and spend all their time petitioning for entrance. Nicky is the worst offender of course, but Allison is getting up there, seeming to enjoy the company of someone she can insult relentlessly for two hours without getting a reaction. He rejects their petitions half of the time, but Nicky doesn’t notice, and Allison seems to be thrilled by the idea of rejection. 

Renee visits often enough, but she spends most of her time at the Forge, helping rehabilitate Jean, with the help of the new Ares, who Andrew met once and then immediately dismissed as an optimistic loon. That might be part of the reason Allison visits so often, but Andrew doesn’t care about Allison’s motivations or personal life at all, so he doesn’t analyze further. Aaron doesn’t visit, but he texts regularly enough that Andrew suspects Katelyn’s hand in it. 

Wymack and Dan visit on a regular schedule, once a month to exchange information on Neil’s whereabouts or new plans for the world. It’s the first time since Andrew ascended that the triune are allied. That can either mean a despotic or golden era, but looking at the optimistic twinkles in the eyes of his visitors, his money is on the latter. 

Wymack is everything Nathan couldn’t have been, a leader instead of just someone in power. He holds no pretenses of controlling the underworld, but makes a sincere effort in understanding the inner workings of the realm. When Abby occasionally joins, she mentions how much she adores Aaron, and Nicky confirms that Aaron seems to have found a new mother that won’t beat him this time around. Andrew doesn’t expect to like the couple that much, but they grow on him slowly, like a fungus. 

For a while, Matt would visit and then stand awkwardly in the foyer making terrible small talk before leaving, until Andrew broke down and asked if he wanted to play video games or something. Matt doesn't seem to want anything from Andrew than typical bro company, and if Andrew is being honest, he’s been starved of it for most of his life. Andrew beats him to hell and back in any racing game from Mario Kart to Need for Speed, but Matt is a veritable god of Street Fighter. Kevin joins now and again, but when he does it’s always Matt and Andrew against him. Kevin takes umbrage, but he’s the god of strategic warfare, and his second in command is the goddess of victory, so he can shut his mouth forever. 

It’s more of a life than he ever expected to have. It’s not enough. 

He’s starting to think the other gods are worried about him, and it feels like pity, so he shuts out every petition for entrance from everyone for months. He gets a few questioning texts, but eventually all contact shuts down, and he’s as isolated as he ever was. He thought he would be comforted by the familiarity, but there’s no comfort to be found. 

The whole point of being Hades was that nobody could take anything from him anymore. He never considered that he could still be left. 

Life continues. Andrew feels bored and tired more often than not. He thinks maybe his tenure of Hades is reaching an expiration date. Death continues. He wakes up and negotiates with dead judges, sends Furies into the world for collection of despicable souls, empties his own coffers to allow access into the Underworld for those who didn’t have a coin for ferry passage. 

There’s a bleakness to his existence these days. Something will give soon, and Andrew half-fears, half-hopes it ends up being himself. 

* 

He gets the text late at night. 

**Zeus **: found him. 

Before Andrew can ask for a location, Neil is in the room. He looks like shit, his hair messy, and his cheeks blotchy and stained with tears and snot. There are dark bags under his eyes, like black bruises, and his clothes hang off of him, just as ugly and cheap-looking as the rest of his usual wardrobe. His hands are covered in golden ichor. He stumbles forwards, and Andrew moves to catch him. 

It’s a shock, feeling Neil in his arms again. He feels smaller, slighter. His hair is dyed black, and he smells like smoke and death. Andrew wills them into a bathroom, before hoisting Neil’s body onto the sink counter. Neil stays collapsed against Andrew’s shoulder, and Andrew isn’t in a particular rush to let him go, so they stay like that for a minute, ten minutes, twenty. 

Andrew’s arms are starting to cramp when Neil pulls back a little bit and begins to whisper. “She wasn’t dead. I had to find her, but nobody would tell me where she was, and I took too long, and when I got there-” His voice breaks off, and he scrubs harshly at his cheeks. “When I got there it was too late. I had to kill her, I had to-” And at that he completely falls apart. Andrew puts the pieces together. 

After months of searching for his mother, Neil had found her ruined remains, still barely alive. She must have begged him to kill her, and he, ever the good son, must have taken her life.

Andrew thinks hard, and finds the name. _ Mary Hatford. Death by immolation. Elysium. _ Andrew considers his options before lifting Neil bodily again, and depositing him in the tub. Neil goes willingly, strips out of his clothes unprompted, then curls up on himself. Andrew runs the hot water, and waits until Neil is almost submerged. He’s in pajamas, just a t-shirt and long pants, so he doesn’t hesitate before shucking the shirt and pants and stepping into the tub behind Neil. Neil leans forward and makes room for Andrew to settle, before leaning back on his chest. 

His tears have stopped mostly, leaving a sort of blank deadness in his eyes. They stay in the water together, Neil’s wet hair plastered against the skin of Andrew’s neck, Andrew’s arms wrapped tight around Neil’s torso. They breathe. 

The water never goes cold, but Andrew gathers them up out of the tub when his fingers get too pruny. He wraps Neil up in towels, before drying himself off and willing his pajamas back on. He goes to summon some clothes for Neil too, and when they’re dressed and mostly just damp, Andrew wills them to bed. 

Neil stares at the bed unblinkingly for five long seconds before collapsing into it. Andrew follows, already exhausted from the rest of his day. Neil immediately moves towards him, and Andrew pulls him in the rest of the way. Neil mashes his face against Andrew’s neck, and holds the fabric of his shirt in a death grip. He’s asleep in seconds. 

Andrew follows soon after. 

*

Andrew wakes up, and Neil is sitting on the edge of the bed, hands knotted. He looks better, though only marginally so. 

“Good morning,” he says softly, and Andrew doesn’t speak, waits to hear what he knows is coming. “I can’t stay,” he says, and there it is. 

“I didn’t ask you to,” Andrew says, and it feels bitter in his mouth. Neil doesn’t even have the grace to wince. 

“There’s nothing in the world that I want to do more than stay but,” he breaks off and looks down at his hands, “but I killed Demeter. It was conquest. I have to find the next Demeter, or the power is going to eat me alive from the inside,” Neil says. He’s shaking. 

Andrew reaches for Neil, and Neil falls into him. Andrew presses his mouth against Neil’s temple, grabs the back of his neck and holds on. The shaking slows to a halt. 

“Come back,” Andrew says against Neil’s head, and Neil nods, says _ I promise _ and then, slowly enough that Andrew could stop him, presses a kiss against his lips. It’s forceful, like Neil is trying to burn his kiss onto Andrew’s lips, trying to anchor himself against something. 

Then he’s gone. 

*

The next few months go like that. Neil shows up some nights, but he leaves in the morning like clockwork. He looks worse every time, but Andrew takes comfort in the fact that Neil always looks better when he leaves. 

On the first day of spring, Neil arrives with a guest in tow. Andrew is working on one of the endless asphodel spreadsheets, trying to find the space for expansion when he hears a throat clear behind him. 

“I do hate to disturb you Andrew, but I was simply too excited to see you.” Andrew stops dead and turns, heart in his throat because, oh, oh that’s-

“Bee,” Andrew says, the name falling out of his mouth without permission. She looks healthy, with a dark tan and a bright smile. She looks hopeful and kind as she outstretches her arms, and for the first time in a long time, all Andrew wants is a hug. 

She smells like sun-warm dirt and clementines, and he’s missed her so much. “How have you been, Andrew?” she asks.

“I’ve been okay, Bee,” he finally says, pulling back. She holds his shoulders and peers at him in her Holmesian fashion, putting together all the pieces that he never needed to tell her. She smiles and her eyes disappear into her face and her smile lines become even more visible. 

“I’m glad to hear it,” she says. She turns to Neil and nods once. “I’ve decided. I’ll do it.” Neil smiles, and how long has he been there? 

“Then I call you to witness Betsy Dobson, previous Apollo, Mother of the Harvest and Hades, Good Dread, and Reigning Demeter,” Neil says, and Bee, now Demeter, closes her eyes, and lets a warm orange glow fill the room. 

“Bee, you said you were done with the Pantheon,” Andrew says, after a few moments of reverent silence. 

“I was! Truly, I was, but when Neil found me, and honestly I don’t know how he even knew about me, he told me that Abby and David were back, and that if I were to become Demeter, I could stay on the farm with Stephanie, but also I could visit you. I asked Neil to bring me here to make my decision, and I’ve done it; being able to see you will be worth the grey hairs,” Bee says, in a laughing voice. Andrew blinks quickly. She came for him. She came back for him. He looks at Neil, and sees that Neil too is blinking past tears. And Neil did this for him, didn’t he? He was on Earth killing himself trying to find a ex-god who didn’t want to be found, just so Andrew could have this moment. 

“Don’t pretend you haven’t already been dyeing your hair,” Andrew says, and she throws her head back and laughs. 

“The point is, being a god back then was soured by the presence of true evil. Now, the company is far better, and might do with a little experience to guide them forwards. And I have missed you dearly, Andrew,” Bee says. Andrew is about to open his mouth and reply, but the back of his head is bombarded with petitions from the other gods to enter. He lets them all in at once, and moves back just quick enough to escape the swarm of gods. 

“Holy shit, Betsy, you’re back!” Matt yells, and her reply is drowned out by the rest of the pack, led by Wymack and Abby, as they throw congratulations and themselves at her.

Andrew, stepped away from the ruckus, sees Neil alone on the side of it all, looking tired and worn but happy. It must be a relief to let go of all of that power. 

“Take this celebration above ground,” Andrew says, before kicking all of them out. Except Neil. 

“Hey,” Neil says, as Andrew walks towards him, “I was wondering if maybe I could-“ and he isn’t talking anymore because Andrew is kissing him, and then Neil is kissing him back, and Neil’s hands are in his hair, and his lips are hot against his neck, and Andrew’s hands are wandering, and then Neil wills them into the bedroom, which is astonishingly difficult for someone who isn’t Andrew, he must really want to be- 

Andrew stops thinking at that point. It’s widely regarded to be a great move. 

*

Andrew wakes up and sees Neil sitting on the edge of the bed, and everything in his body sinks. 

“Hey, I didn’t mean to wake you up,” Neil says. “I was coming right back, but I had to do something.” 

“Do what?” Andrew asks, eyes narrowed. Neil holds up his right hand, and right in the center of his palm is a perfect, ruby red pomegranate. 

“Neil,” Andrew starts, but Neil is already shaking his head. 

“Andrew, I was looking for my mother on Earth for so long, and it almost killed me. The only thing that kept me moving was knowing that I could come home to you. I’m already tied inextricably to you, Andrew, you already possess a part of me. I just want to make it official. I want you to know that I’m not ever going anywhere. Not on purpose, not without you.” He’s rolling the pomegranate in his hands as he speaks, but at this he presses his thumbs into the rind, and breaks it apart, spilling the seeds on the bed sheets. It’s an unnatural fruit, born of Hades, so there is no juice, no mess, just the garnet pearls, scattered between them. 

“Besides. If you wanted to make it reciprocal, I’m the god of flowering. If you eat some of these, I get to keep you too,” Neil says, and that’s what seals it for Andrew, that Neil would know that Andrew would be uncomfortable at the imbalance, and would engineer a specific solution, but let it be Andrew’s choice entirely. 

Andrew grabs six of the seeds and pops them into his mouth. Neil rolls his eyes. “Way to steal my thunder-“ he cuts off, and his eyes widen. “Andrew I can feel you, in my head, I can feel you, it’s like you’re tethered to me, I-“ he shuts up and grabs six too, popping them like pills. 

Andrew narrows his eyes and then, oh. That’s Neil. 

It’s an awareness he’s never had, an understanding of him. It is like a tether, one Andrew could use to pull Neil closer, but also could use to assure himself of the connection, a way to communicate. It feels like belonging. 

Neil’s eyes are wide and starry, and Andrew could reach out with his hands to touch him, but instead reaches with his mind, lightly tugs on the connection and sees Neil lean forward in response.

They’re both grinning like loons, and Neil all but leaps onto him and they’re messing up the sheets and sending pomegranate seeds flying, and Andrew kisses Neil and holds him close through the tether.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and they lived happily ever after!!!!!!! 
> 
> i hope you enjoyed this, and i hope you feel like the ending, and all the twists along the way were earned! i'd love to hear about anything you have to say, even if you don't think it's all that nice! your thoughts are important to me and even if you just drop a sentence saying you enjoyed it, i get, like, so much out of that! 
> 
> thank you again!

**Author's Note:**

> the block quote at the beginning is from the Homeric Hymn to Demeter - the story which originated the persephone myth in the first place! 
> 
> let me know if you're intrigued! comments are my lifeblood!


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